Chris Stokes admits it was a joy being able to lead his team out on the pitch again – and he rounded off the perfect return to action with a stunning strike from 20 yards.
The Kilmarnock captain started his first league match since August 7 after suffering a hamstring injury followed by a glute problem, and despite being a centre back he rattled one into the top corner during his side’s 3-2 win against Hamilton.
And he says it was a pleasure being back: “It’s great to be back out there playing after injury. It’s been frustrating that since I’ve signed, it’s not gone well for me from my personal point of view.
“As captain you want to be leading on the pitch, not just in training and the dressing room.
“Now I’m back I want to keep this going.”
He added: “I just took my touch and there wasn’t much on, sometimes you try your luck and it flew in the top corner.
“I’m never in the shooting drills because I’m a centre half, but I’ve played high up the pitch as a wing back previously in my career.
“It could fly into the top of the stand or the top corner and luckily for me it went in.”
Meanwhile Stokes admits he was baffled by referee John Beaton’s performance in Lanarkshire.
It was a game surrounded in controversy, with both teams disagreeing with a number of calls from the whistler.
The most controversial one came in the 80th minute when he showed red to Killie goalkeeper Zach Hemming who challenged Andy Ryan – and Beaton decided it was enough to send the shot stopper off after he saved two penalties.
Stokes said: “I don’t know what was going with some of the handballs, even with ours I didn’t really see it. Being a defender, I don’t know how he can give that. You don’t want penalties for token handballs, you want the game to flow and lead to goals like mine and not just penalties and stupid decisions and that’s what it felt like.
“It wasn’t free flowing which was disappointing on that front.
“But we got the three points and we move on.”
He added: “It’s one of them our keeper has gone for the ball and he’s played the ball. I don’t know what he’s supposed to do. In this in age it seem if you make any contact it’s going to be a free-kick.
“If you go by the letter of the law he’s the last man and you send him off, but I don’t see how you can make decisions like that.
“You don’t want to see the game go like that – you want it free flowing and enjoyable and not getting keepers sent off and giving penalties left right and centre, it just became comical in the end.
“He’s saying he’s talking to the linesman. If he’s running back he’s making a snapshot decision. If you walk over and have a chat with the linesman and it’s a red card then alright – that’s your decision.
“But he’s running backwards, and he said he’s got a great view but the linesman has a better view. Go and talk to him, make him make a decision.”
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