First of all, the Killie team sheet read without Kevin Kyle and Mehdi Taouil. Kyle's absence was created by a clash of heads with Ryan O'Leary in training. the striker came off worst, his eye closing due to the substantial swelling, but the real damage was down as he landed awkwardly from the challenge, and jarred his knee that a painkilling injection couldn't get him ready for kick-off. Taouil failed a pre-match fitness test on a hamstring injury but made it to the bench.
The wind howled around Rugby Park throughout the first half, and neither side ahd the courage or confidence to play the ball on the ground, resulting in a poor spectacle of the ball being launched back to front, with no real idea of where it could be expected to land. The two closest efforts on goal both came from scrappy play, Killie's Steven Old beating Langfield to a swirling cross only for the ball to bounce on the top of the bar and go behind, while the Dons' Paton clipped the Killie bar with a poked shot from 8 yards.
Whatever Jim Jefferies said at half time seemed to work as Killie came out with a will to win in the secons half, and peppered the Aberdeen goal. David Fernandez's touch was sublime, as he was the only player on the park to kill the ball effectively, and he kept Killie moving forward.
Garry Hay saw a good free kick decelerate into the wind allowing Jamie Langfield to throw himself to his left to paw the full back's goal-bound effort past the post.
Killie then had two great chances inside sixty desconda as a Hay cross flashed across the face of goal just asking for Steven Old to tap it home, but the Kiwi couldn't find the finish. Then some Fernandez magic on the right created the perfect pass for Conor Sammon plumb in front of goal four yards out, but the striker slipped and the ball bounced of his legs into the goalkeeper's chest and away.
Mark McGhee's men were creating nothing at all, with the Killie midfield dominating, and the home side were eventually rewarded for their efforts. Substitute Allan Russell's first touch sent Danny Invincibile through on goal, and he fired a low shot home past Langfield.
Aberdeen almost equalised immediately, but Mark Brown made an excellent block to deny Chris Maguire's tight-angled volley.
Russell had the chance to extend the Killie lead when he was released by Hamill, he remained composed as he strode into the box, but his low shot was deflected wide by Langfield's outstretched toe.
It was Charlie Mulgrew's free kick expertise which led to the Dons' equlaiser, as his 35 yard shot bounced horribly in front of Brown, who could only parry it across goal, where former Killie midfielder Gary Macdonald was on hand to force the ball home.
A draw was the very least Kilmarnock deserved for their second half performance, and this one feels like two points dropped rather than one point gained.