Kilmarnock: Allan Johnston hopes win kick starts season

Allan Johnston believes the 2-0 victory over Ross County can kick start his side's season.

Kris Boyd and Jackson Irvine helped Killie clinch their first win of the Scottish Premiership and Johnston hopes it is the first of many.

"We've got to kick start our season," manager Johnston told BBC Scotland. "Kilmarnock are too big a club to be where we are."

Johnston thought Hearts' defeat by Motherwell would also help.

"But one win is not enough," he said. "Hopefully we can work our way up the table.

"You could see this has been coming with the performances this year. It has been individual errors which have cost us dear. We're just glad to get the result.

"We've been unlucky in a number of games, but it's good to get a home win for the fans."

Boyd had given the hosts the lead in the first half before Irvine's executed drive and his manager was delighted with Boyd's performance and his link-up play with on-loan Dundee United attacker Michael Gardyne.

"They've been playing well together," Johnston said. "We missed Gardyne when he was not involved.

"He's going to be a big player for us and obviously Boydy scores us a lot of goals.

"The most pleasing aspect was getting the clean sheet - we've not had many clean sheets this year.

"It was a real team performance. I think, to a man, everybody was better than their opponent so that speaks volumes from the players."

Despite the result, fans still vented their frustration at the way the club is being run by chairman Michael Johnston, showing red cards in the 18th and 69th minute, symbolic of when the club was founded in 1869.

"I thought the fans were really good today getting behind the players," added the team manager.

"Obviously there was the protests as well, but they turned out in good numbers and they got behind the players and that's what we need for the rest of the season."

Kilmarnock's next test is when Gary Locke's Hearts travel to Rugby Park on Saturday.