Kilmarnock

Kenny Crawford
BBC Sport Scotland

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Kilmarnock winger Danny Armstrong is not ruling out extending his stay with the Rugby Park club despite being expected to leave.

The 27-year-old, who joined in 2021, is out of contract in summer and manager Derek McInnes admitted in December Armstrong is "not going to be a Kilmarnock player next season" after attempts to secure him on a new deal failed.

Armstrong held talks in January over a potential move to Hearts, but decided to stay in Ayrshire.

"It's just about seeing what comes at the end of the season, even from Kilmarnock, if there's another offer to be put down," said Armstrong.

"There's not been another offer put down since the last one, and me and the gaffer are clear on that. When the time's right we'll have the conversation.

"I'll sit down at the end of the season and look at what options I've got. I'll talk to family, managers, my manager and see what happens.

"It's a scary time for everyone. I've got a young family so it's about taking your time and making the right decision."

Armstrong has made 37 appearance for Killie this season, but only scored twice. In the 2022-23 campaign the former Raith Rovers player netted 12 times, then in 2023-24 his tally was nine.

"I've loved all four years here," said Armstrong.

"I've been through not playing here to playing every minute. I can count on one hand how many games I've not been available for and it's something I'm very proud of.

"If when I sit down at the end of the season and Kilmarnock's the option I want to do, then I'll have no hesitation in doing it.

"I've got great friends here and it's a wonderful place to be. We'll focus on these next three games then decide at the end of the season."

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Would Derek McInnes be a good choice as the new Hearts manager?

The Kilmarnock boss is under consideration, along with St Mirren manager Stephen Robinson and John McGlynn of Falkirk, as the Tynecastle club seek someone with experience of the Scottish game to replace the sacked Neil Critchley.

Mark Atkinson, sports editor of The Scotsman, says McInnes "stands out above the rest of them" because he has already managed a club of similar size, Aberdeen.

"I think you're seeing McInnes' name rise to prominence because of the experience he has," Atkinson told the BBC's Scottish football podcast.

"You see with clubs such as Hearts when they go for someone like Critchley, a bit of a wild-card appointment, when it doesn't work there's a feeling that you might go back to basics, go back to somebody who knows the Scottish landscape really well.

"Some people would argue that Robinson should be more in the conversation than he is given what St Mirren have achieved. And I think that's a fair argument.

"But it has long surprised me that McInnes has not been taken by Hearts or Hibs given the amount of time they've been looking for managers in recent years.

"He's done a very good job at Kilmarnock and you could argue that his race has almost run at Kilmarnock. What more can he achieve there?

"And just given what he's achieved in the Scottish game, at some point I've always thought he may become a serious contender for one of these roles. It now appears that's the case."

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Assistant coach Paul Sheerin was on media duty prior to Kilmarnock's important Scottish Premiership match against Dundee on Saturday.

Here are the key lines:

• He says it's "absolutely no surprise" there is speculation about manager Derek McInnes potentially becoming the new Hearts boss.

• Sheerin has been part of McInnes' backroom team at both Aberdeen and Kilmarnock and believes what he's achieved so far in his career stands out.

• He adds "there's a reason" the speculation is there and that's "because [McInnes] has done his job so well in the past years of being a manager".

• Sheerin says "ambitious" McInnes has been "huge" to what's been built at Kilmarnock despite a "frustrating" season.

• But he believes Kilmarnock are "always in a position to be ready" to move on should there be a managerial departure.

• On teenage striker Bobby Wales, who is out of contract this summer and is attracting interest from Swansea, Sheerin says the forward has "earned the opportunity to move on".

• He says that "the last couple of results have been pleasing" but the team are "fully aware the job isn't done" in their search for guaranteed survival.

• Sheerin expects a "tough game" against a Dundee side who have "goals at the top end of the pitch".

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Kilmarnock duo David Watson and Bobby Wales have been nominated for the Scottish Football Writers' Association young player of the year award.

The pair are vying with Hearts striker James Wilson and PFA winner Lennon Miller for the SFWA prize, which is restricted to players eligible for Scotland Under-21s.

Watson won both the PFA and SWFA young player awards last season after a stellar breakthrough campaign and the 20-year-old has scored five goals from midfield this term.

Striker Wales, 19, has also netted five times for Kilmarnock this season following an impressive loan at Alloa Athletic last term.

Sandy Armour
Fan writer

A rare win on the road at Perth was very welcome and goes a long way to securing our Premiership survival.

I missed the game as I was at my pal's wedding but we managed to see the second goal on a mobile phone. Our mad cheer may have upset the wedding photographer who was busy at work.

Many fans have been crying out for some consistent team selection and it was no surprise an unchanged winning team paid dividends.

David Watson is only there as Brad Lyons got injured in the warm-up the previous weekend, but the 20-year-old has done more than any other player to help us gain the two wins.

His goal on Saturday was a thing of beauty and we really need to play to his strengths as he can get a significant number of goals if played in an advanced role.

Rumours abound regarding our manager heading over the M8 to Tynecastle.

We need to just concentrate on securing our league status and a win over Dundee on Saturday will let all Killie fans breathe a bit easier.

Sandy Armour is editor of The Killie Hippo fanzine

Kilmarnock boss Derek McInnes, who has two years to go on his Rugby Park contract, is the frontrunner to become Hearts' new manager, while Falkirk's John McGlynn is unlikely to be in contention for a return to Tynecastle. (Scottish Sun), external

Read the rest of Tuesday's Scottish Gossip

Jonathan Sutherland
Sportscene presenter

Kilmarnock took a big step to securing their Scottish Premiership safety with a win up at McDiarmid Park, and the man who got the ball rolling against St Johnstone is in my team of the week.

Young midfielder David Watson was back in Derek McInnes' team and back on the scoresheet in what could prove to be a pivotal win.

Watch the Sportscene panel analyse Kilmarnock's performance in their vital Scottish Premiership victory over St Johnstone.

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Watch all the action from Kilmarnock's 2-0 win over relegation-threatened St Johnstone in the Scottish Premiership.

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We asked for your views on Kilmarnock's 2-0 win against St Johnstone. Here's what some of you said:

Graeme: We are probably safe now, but why didn't we have these performances earlier in the season? Really good to see David Watson nearing his best again in the last two games!

Robert: Professional performance just when it was needed. Watson should be starting more often. Danny Armstrong more like himself, while Rory McKenzie showed he still has a part to play.

Scott: A professional performance and a long overdue away win. Hopefully we can finish the job next week and start looking ahead to next season. Disappointing as this year has been, it's really the five defeats in eight games against County and St Johnstone that have cost us.

If we'd even won a couple of those games we'd have been looking at top six. Just shows how fine the margins are in this league.

Wolfgang: Give Derek McInnes some credit here, the man's a proper stable manager and knows how to steer clear of relegation. Last time we were in this position we ended up dropping! Let's finish the season off on a high and shore up that defence in the summer!

Anna: Brilliant performance. The back four was good and solid, as was midfield with young Watson giving us the perfect start, followed up by Danny Armstrong's penalty.

The substitutions were right too. In fact, it couldn't have gone any better, with the other results going our way. It's a shame Bobby Wales had to come off though, we've not got him for much longer if his transfer to Swansea goes through. Good to have Marley Watkins and Kyle Vassell back fit.

Robert: Played so much better, which shows we missed Stuart Findlay at the back when he was injured. His calmness has shone through. Watson has shown a hunger after being left out, one more win and we can concentrate on top six for next year.

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David Watson insists Killie will "pull a result out the bag" when they need to after they beat bottom club St Johnstone 2-0 on Saturday.

The win moves Derek McInnes' side 12 points clear of the Saints and six ahead of the relegation play-off spot with three games to go.

"When it comes down to these sorts of games where we need to pull a result out the bag, we've always done it," the midfielder said.

"I think it showed the team spirit, the way we held together at the end as St Johnstone attacked at the end, we kept the ball out our net and secured a massive three points."

The young midfielder has only started six league games since the turn of the year, but has started the last three as he looks to prove his importance to manager McInnes.

He repaid the faith shown in him by opening the scoring in the 12th minute with a fine strike from the edge of the box, his fourth goal of the season.

"We want to finish as high as we can," Watson added. "The result today is massive for us and we want to keep doing that week in week out until the end of the season. People will moan about our away form but when it comes to really needing to win, we always do it.

"We played well, we were really on the boil. We're not much different to last season but it's probably been disappointing for us. We just want to finish the season strong and come back next season stronger."

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• St. Johnstone have conceded 32 first-half goals in 35 games, more than any other in the Premiership this season.

• By the 44th minute, St. Johnstone had attempted 11 shots in this match - higher than their season average of 10.0 in the Premiership. However, they have failed to score - as has happened in 25 of their 35 games, more often than any other team in the Premiership this season.

• They have conceded 14 goals in the first 15 minutes of the second half, more than any other team in the Premiership this season.

• Simo Valakari's side have now lost their last three games in the Premiership - their last longer losing streak was from 14 December to 29 December 2024, a run of four games.

• Danny Armstrong has successfully converted his last five penalties in the Premiership, last failing to score on 2 September 2023 against Ross County.

• The winger has contributed to goals in his last four games in the Premiership (two goals, two assists).

St Johnstone's Scottish Premiership survival has been left hanging by a thread after Kilmarnock brushed them aside at McDiarmid Park to move closer to safety.

A fine strike from young midfielder David Watson had the visitors ahead, before Danny Armstrong's second-half penalty extended the gap between the sides.

Killie are six points above the relegation play-off spot and, having won back-to-back games, will feel a lot more comfortable about their chances of staying up.

What did you make of Kilmarnock's performance? Who stood out for you in the win?

What did you make of Danny Armstrong's passionate celebration, as well?

Let us know your thoughts here.

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Kilmarnock manager Derek McInnes told BBC Scotland: "The pitch is really difficult. People slag our pitch but that is really difficult for the players to try and connect.

"We tried to play the conditions, take the anxiety out of it. We could have been more effective with our work but we got a brilliant first goal. We saw the importance of another midfielder arriving late in the box.

"Davie [Watson] has the quality to get on the road, a brilliant finish from the wee fella. We were good in the game, in terms of being quite calm. But we gave them too much encouragement. Too many balls were coming into our box, so we made a change at half time.

"We knew the second goal didn't need to come but ultimately you still want it. We were able to breathe easy, it put pressure on them and it we stayed strong within our structure. It was a very mature, professional performance and the exact one that was needed.

"It doesn't need to be dramatic, we don't need to be brilliant, we just need to be steady with our work.

"We've got Stuart Findlay back, Kyle Vassell back in, Matty Kennedy on the bench today - all of a sudden we have a bit more strength about us, a bit more knowhow, and that showed in the performance.

"I don't know if we're safe, we can't say that with mathematic certainty, but we took a huge step towards that. I wasn't thinking about relegation, it's always been about trying to catch the teams above us."

Andrew Petrie
BBC Sport Scotland

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Winless in their last 12 away games, and 10 defeats in that time, it was about time Kilmarnock turned up on the road.

The 2-0 win over Motherwell at the start of April gave Derek McInnes' side some confidence, as did the victory over Ross County last weekend.

They turned up with that confidence, starting on the front foot and rarely letting up. The restoration of Watson to the midfield was long overdue and he repaid the confidence finally shown in him.

It's a bit of a mystery why he was jettisoned in January, having only started six league games since. One of Kilmarnock's brightest prospects, his exclusion baffled fans and pundits alike.

Back to the league and Killie fans are wise enough to know that it's not done until it's done, but they will sleep a little easier tonight.

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David Watson. Why hasn't the young midfielder been a regular in the team since January? He added energy and impetus in the Killie midfield that has been lacking at times this season.

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St Johnstone remain without Zach Mitchell (hamstring), Drey Wright (ankle) and long-term absentees Bozo Mikulic (knee) and Sam McClelland (Achilles).

Kilmarnock midfielder Brad Lyons will probably miss the game with a groin problem and Joe Wright will miss out with a hip injury. Kyle Magennis is back running and looking to join in training next week following his recovery from a knee injury.

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Lewis Mayo emphasised the importance of handling the pressure as Kilmarnock hope to keep their place in the Premiership.

Derek McInnes' side are ninth, just one point ahead of Dundee and nine above bottom-placed St Johnstone, who they face on Saturday.

But they're going into the weekend's game off the back of a 2-0 victory over Ross County last week.

"You can't get swallowed by pressure," Mayo said.

"There's no doubt that the pressure is there, but it's not a bad thing. It means there's something worth playing for.

"We've had a few big results during my time here but I'd say last week was probably the most important week in terms of results and handling that pressure. Everyone has a real sense of belief after a result like that.

"So for the boys that have experienced that, that will help us as well. One of the most important things with these games is staying positive and calm as well.

"I thought last week that by no means were we at our best but we were calm. It was a professional performance and we did what we needed to do to win the game."

Derek McInnes' men face a St Johnstone side fighting for their lives at the bottom of the Premiership table.

Simo Valakari's team are six points off Ross County in 10th with just four games to go.

"Time is running out for them and going to their ground, we've got to understand that they're going to give it everything," Mayo added.

"So we need to be ready for that as well.

"They're going to throw everything they've got at us. They might try and change a wee bit from what they do, but the last time we played them they didn't change much about the set-up and their approach.

"You don't want to rely on other results all the time. In our heads, it's just a case of doing it as fast as we can and keeping that belief that we can do it. It's in our hands."

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Opening the scoring in last weekend's 2-0 win over Ross County, Bruce Anderson became the first Kilmarnock player to reach 10 goals in a Premiership campaign since Eamonn Brophy's 11 in 2018-19.

Not bad for a forward who has only made 11 league starts.

Back-to-back home wins have come at the right time for Killie, who have two more matches to come at Rugby Park, but the Ayrshire side have eked out a mere nine points on the road all season - the lowest points tally in the division.

They have lost six in a row on the road, last losing seven in 2021, when they went down.

Six points adrift, St Johnstone are deep into 'must win' territory and can take heart from beating Kilmarnock in five of the past six league games played in Perth.

Anderson tends to get overlooked against teams in the top half of the table, so he should be licking his lips at the prospect of more time on the pitch in these post-split games.

He could also do with improving his record against Saints, since he has managed to hit the net just twice in 16 appearances, only scoring fewer against Celtic (0) and Hearts (1) among sides he has faced six+ times.

Read all the Premiership picks here

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• St Johnstone have won five of their past six Scottish Premiership home games against Kilmarnock, with the exception a 2-0 defeat in April 2024.

• Kilmarnock have won three of their past five league meetings with St Johnstone (L2), as many as their previous 13 beforehand (W3 D3 L7).

• St Johnstone have won three of their past five home league games (D1 L1), one more than across their previous 20 beforehand (W2 D5 L13). The Perth side could win back-to-back home matches in the Scottish Premiership for the first time since December 2023.

• Kilmarnock have lost their past six away league games, last losing seven in a row on the road in the Scottish Premiership in May 2021 under Tommy Wright en route to relegation.

• Bruce Anderson is the first player to score 10+ goals in a Scottish Premiership season for Kilmarnock since Eamonn Brophy in 2018-19 (11). However, Anderson has scored just two goals in 16 appearances against St Johnstone in the competition, only scoring fewer against Celtic (0) and Hearts (one) among sides he had faced 6+ times.

Kilmarnock striker Bobby Wales has agreed a pre-contract deal with Swansea City and the Scottish Premiership club will receive around £300,000 in compensation for the 19-year-old. (Scottish Sun), external

Bobby Wales has agreed a four-year contract with Swansea City and the Kilmarnock striker is scheduled to travel to Wales for his medical next week. (Daily Record), external

Read the rest of Friday's Scottish gossip.

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Derek McInnes has warned Kilmarnock must be ready to "fight fire with fire" against a St Johnstone side who are in "last chance saloon".

Saints are six points adrift of second-bottom Ross County with just four games left.

But Killie, who sit ninth, are taking nothing for granted at McDiarmid Park on Saturday as they look to move further clear of trouble with just a third away win of the season.

"If I was the St Johnstone manager, I'd still feel we had a real chance," said McInnes.

"I feel that when you hear Simo [Valakari] speak, he's full of belief and full of encouragement for his players to believe that they can get a result.

"And they'll be thinking that if they can go and win the next couple of games, then they're right back in it.

"I think Motherwell are now the only team in the bottom six who can breathe a bit easier after their win last weekend and there's still work for us all to do and we are well aware of that.

"St Johnstone are possibly in the last chance saloon in terms of winning games, but we're well aware of their threats.

"St Johnstone can beat us on any given day, they've shown that this season and they can beat other teams.

"They are a team that puts bodies forward. They've got good players and I think a lot of their best players are probably attacking players.

"So with that in mind I think, you normally see an attacking approach from St Johnstone and I firmly believe that will be the case.

"They will come right after us, they will see this as a big chance for them, they are at home and we have got to be ready to fight fire with fire, as we will do."