In addition, with Mr. Gerrard struggling in his quarterback-playmaker role, Mr. Hodgson filled his old position, behind the striker, with the newly-acquired Raul Meireles, who himself is more of a traditional box-to-box midfielder and unused to playing so far up.
Following their first corner in the sixth minute the ball broke to the edge of the boxto Kilmarnock midfielder Mark Reilly, who steadied himself but blasted the ball harmlessly over the bar.