Kilmarnock

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Derek McInnes has been speaking to the media before Kilmarnock's trip to face St Johnstone on Saturday.

Here are the key points from his press conference:

• McInnes wants to build on a "good win" over Ross County but is wary of bottom club Saints who are in "last chance saloon".

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

• McInnes is "well aware" his side can't "breathe easy" and still have work to do to secure survival: "When you play teams in and around you it's like trying to cut each other's throat. Three points is great for your own but also damaging your opponent. Every game is vitally important."

• St Johnstone's recent win over Celtic showed how dangerous they can be and Killie "have to be mindful" of the Perth side's attacking threat.

• Finishing top of the bottom six is Killie's target: "We'll have to show some really good form to do that and pick up some points on the road."

• An away win in Perth in would mean McInnes' side can't automatically be relegated: "I just think a Killie win relieves a bit of anxiety around everybody at the club and we can just look forward to the last few games. For any team that doesn't win their next fixture the pressure builds."

• Brad Lyons is set to miss out with a groin problem. Kyle Magennis is back running and could return to training next week ahead of schedule which would be a "huge bonus for us".

• On Killie's Youth Cup final win: "Really pleased. It illustrates the good work being down by everybody in the academy but particularly Chris Burke and Gary Irvine with the 18s team. They've done brilliant.

• McInnes adds: "It's great, a shot in the arm for any academy when you win silverware. It's normally bigger clubs than us that win the Youth Cup. We've got some good talented players within that. Captain Ben Brannan, who has been on loan at Inverness, has signed a new deal and will be a big part of the first-team squad."

Jack Herrall
BBC Sport Scotland

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Danny Armstrong made his 150th appearance for Kilmarnock at the weekend as they took another step towards Scottish Premiership survival.

Derek McInnes' side are three points clear of second-bottom Ross County, and nine above St Johnstone. Killie are buoyed by a commanding 2-0 win at home to the Staggies and travel to face the beleaguered Perth Saints this weekend.

Despite a lacklustre campaign following his sensational form last season, Armstrong may still be the player to keep the Rugby Park side in the Premiership before his expected departure as a free agent this summer.

With two assists and a goal - albeit a consolation against Celtic - in his past three appearances, he is proving to be a key part of a Killie side fighting for every point at the foot of the table.

The 27-year-old has the fourth-most assists in the top flight with six this season and has been deployed across a variety of positions, primarily wide right midfield with licence to roam further forward.

Armstrong's attacking numbers show he is a player still performing well above average when compared to midfielders and attackers in the Premiership.

Pinning down the best position to compare Armstrong with - midfielders or attackers - isn't easy, but he exceeds both in various categories.

His tally of 38 shots is nearly double the league average for attackers and his expected assists total is 5.22 compared to the average of 1.36 for midfielders.

He has created 16 chances from set-pieces, while the league average for a midfielder is 2.95. He's won possession 10 times in the final third, double the average for a forward, which is testament to his determined pressing under McInnes.

Players have outperformed him, yes, but for a hybrid winger, wing-back and inside attacker who has had a stop-start season, Armstrong's numbers show he is more than capable of dragging Killie to safety.

Kilmarnock boss Derek McInnes is the obvious choice for Hearts as they seek a new manager, says former Tynecastle midfielder Michael Stewart. (Scottish Football Social Club via Daily Record, external)

Read the rest of Thursday's Scottish gossip.

Watch the goals as Kilmarnock defeat Dundee 2-0 in the Scottish Youth Cup final at Hampden.

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Kilmarnock won the Scottish Youth Cup for the first time since 2004 after defeating Dundee with a goal in each half.

Killie took the lead from a Grant Marchant corner with Duncan Barlow stooping to apply the headed finish from close range.

Reuben Cooper's strike deflected off the head of Charley Oosenburgh and into the net for the clinching goal.

Archie Traynor headed home in added time but there would be no third Kilmarnock goal with the offside flag raised.

Cole Burke, son of Killie B's head coach and former Scotland winger Chris Burke, featured as the Ayrshire club celebrated their second success in the tournament.

Kilmarnock first team manager Derek McInnes and Dundee counterpart Tony Docherty were in attendance at Hampden.

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It will come as little surprise to anyone that the latest attempt at reconstruction of the Scottish Premiership has failed to get off the ground.

A change from the current 12-team set-up to one of 10, 14 or 16 were the options being discussed but the SPFL said "there was no reasonable prospect of achieving consensus".

Maintaining the status quo is a consequence of there being "no perfect option" for change, according to The Herald football writer Stephen McGowan.

Speaking on the BBC's Scottish football podcast, McGowan said: "If you look at the options for expanding the Premiership, for 14 you would have to have probably a top six and a bottom eight and a different number of fixtures. So that's less than ideal.

"Look at the 16, which is the one that supporters really want. But Neil Doncaster has been saying consistently that you would then have to find a way to still preserve your four Celtic v Rangers games because Sky sports are not a charity. They're a subscription network who want to get the biggest numbers for games. So they want more Celtic and Rangers games.

"So it's how you square that circle with the 16 that's the problem. So it's not so much I don't think there's no great desire for expansions. There's no such thing as a perfect option and one that they can all vote for. That's the problem basically."

Former Scotland defender Maurice Ross, meanwhile, has accused Premiership clubs of "self-preservation".

"If they're going to remain the same, okay, let's put two clubs [automatically] down then and have a third-place play-off," said Ross.

"And we'll see what the reaction is of the clubs in four or five years' time. Then they'll want reconstruction."

Sandy Armour
Fan writer

There really is a stark difference between top and bottom six and reality hit home as I took my seat for the Ross County game last Saturday.

A year ago we were praying we would be visiting some of Europe's beautiful cities and that dream incredibly came true. On Saturday thoughts turned to Arbroath on a Friday night with howling gales and hungry seagulls.

Hopefully our solid win against the Dingwall strugglers set the tone for our remaining four games and sets us up for a strong finish from what has been a disappointing season.

Young David Watson was man of the match although he wasn't in the original starting XI. Brad Lyons was injured in the warm-up and that allowed the Prestwick Pirlo to step in and display the type of commitment and passion that rubbed off on his team-mates.

I'm not sure why the manager has used him so sparingly this season but if my sizeable butt was in the manager's chair he'd be starting every week.

Unfortunately we are away from home this weekend as we travel to Perth but maybe the confidence gained from Saturday can spark a rare win on the road.

Sandy Armour is editor of The Killie Hippo fanzine.

Watch the Sportscene panel analyse Kilmarnock's chances of survival after their win over Ross County on Saturday.

Jonathan Sutherland
Sportscene presenter

Kilmarnock put three points between themselves and Ross County with a 2-0 win over the Staggies on Saturday and they've got two players in my team of the week as a result.

Influential defender Stuart Findlay played a key role in the clean sheet, while there was a steadfast display from midfielder Liam Donnelly, who delivered a goal.

Watch highlights as Kilmarnock pick up a vital win against Ross County.

Available in UK only

Martin Dowden
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Kilmarnock midfielder Liam Donnelly has called for the squad to retain their focus after earning an important three points in their 2-0 win over Ross County.

The Northern Irishman scored his first goal of the season to seal a win that moves the Ayrshire side three points clear of County, who drop to the play-off position.

Victory also delivered a considerable nine-point cushion over bottom-placed St Johnstone, who they visit next weekend.

"We know obviously the job's not done," Donnelly told BBC Scotland.

"We know we still need to keep our focus for the St Johnstone game, get a good week this week leading up to that and we'll go there looking to get another [result].

"It's a great result for us. All the results, if we can get them, are going to be massive at this point of the season."

After a slow start from both sides, with limited chances, Derek McInnes' side got a crucial advantage when Danny Armstrong delivered for Bruce Anderson to nod home at the back post.

Kilmarnock became increasingly convincing with Donnelly's second delivering a deserved win.

"Obviously getting the first goal gives us a bit of relief almost, sort of relaxed everybody," Donnelly added.

"You can go and start getting about your work a bit more relaxed and we knew coming in at half time it would be ideal to go out and get a second.

With just one goal this term, Donnelly is hardly renowned for the art of goalscoring but showed great skill and determination to cleverly beat a number of defenders before finishing in style.

"It's something the coaching staff have have been speaking about, trying to get a few midfielders on the edge of the box more often, chipping in with a few goals," he explained.

"It's been a while since I got one myself so I'm delighted to get on the scoresheet again."

We asked for your views on Kilmarnock's 2-0 win against Ross County.

Here's what some of you said:

John: Good display and a great result, same again next week would be great, we need a win.

James: A good disciplined performance. County were never able to put us under any sustained pressure. They didn't have a shot on target until the 83rd minute. David Watson did very well having to step in when Brad Lyons got injured. Hopefully another two wins will see us safe.

Gary: Very scrappy first 20 minutes but Killie started to settle, great cross from Danny Armstrong and goal from Bruce Anderson - we can't let him leave. In the second half Killie should have been out of sight before Liam Donnelly scored a great goal.

Robert M: This was more like the Killie of last season. Solid at the back with no crazy mistakes costing us goals. Hard working all over the pitch and two good goals. Great to see Danny back playing like we know he can and the difference having Stuart Findlay back is enormous. Very happy man.

Robert J: Good steady performance and a clean sheet.

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• Ross County have lost their last five games in the Premiership, their last longer losing streak was from 7 May 2022 to 13 August 2022, a run of six games.

• Kilmarnock have scored in each of their last five games in the Premiership, scoring seven goals in that run.

• Ross County have failed to score in 15 of their 34 games, more often than any other team in the Premiership this season.

• Daniel Armstrong has contributed to goals in his last three games in the Premiership (one goal, two assists).

Kilmarnock earned a potentially vital three points in their bid to remain in the Scottish Premiership as Bruce Anderson's first-half header and Liam Donnelly's fine finish saw off relegation rivals Ross County.

Killie fans, give us your thoughts on the game here.

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Kilmarnock manager Derek McInnes: "Who knows [how important that result will be], but it was just important for us to bounce back after our disappointment at Celtic Park. It was a tough afternoon, you're never truly judged on those games, but we are judged on these.

"In the last two games, Motherwell and Ross County, [we were] quite similar, we weren't enthralling or too exciting it but it was efficient, professional, and got the job done with two cleansheets and 2-0 [in both games].

"The first goal is a great goal with a lovely stood-up cross from Danny Armstrong and Bruce Anderson finding space amongst all the size. He's the smallest player in the box, and he finds that space, which he's always done. A great goal.

"In the second half, we wanted to keep that momentum going. We were pretty steady with our work. The second goal comes from Liam Donnelly, I thought he was our best player today - a real responsibility and presence in the middle of the park and lovely quality for the second goal.

"And from there on in, it was just about keeping the freshness to keep Ross County at bay, the press and the energy in the team. And we had a couple of wee moments after that, but I thought it was just a very efficient performance and exactly the performance we need at this moment.

"I thought we just kind of negated everything that was there to negate.

"But we were still quite dynamic when we needed to be dynamic, positive when we needed to be positive. Getting the second goal let everybody in the stadium, ourselves included, breathe a wee bit easier, and I thought the players from there on in were quite commanding and quite assertive with their work.

"You still look at the league table and you come in and you look at results, but ultimately, and I've said to the players all week, it's what we do, we don't depend on anybody else.

"I think if you start looking to depend on other people, then you don't get the job done. And I think we've got to be responsible, got to take ownership of it and just grab the situation we're in.

"And if we can continue over the next four games the way we played today, I think we'll get more good results but next Saturday is another Saturday and we need to do it all again and it would be nice to follow up today's win with another win which then we can start to breathe a wee bit easier because I do think still… there's still too much to play for so we're right in the middle of it."

Martin Dowden
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Fight and scrap are qualities McInnes demanded heading into this. That was there, but the key bit seemed missing until the crucial opening goal.

This game marked 150 appearances for Armstrong, in what hasn't been his most productive season, but he delivered a key assist at a key moment to mark that landmark, with Anderson doing very, very well to make it count.

The tension was clear around Rugby Park up to then and didn't fully evaporate, but Kilmarnock built on it rather than stepping back, were rewarded and were thus rarely under pressure.

Three points deliver a little bit of cushion to ease the pressure, with the chance to take on a now-desperate St Johnstone, who are well adrift at the bottom.

McInnes suggested two wins out of five may be enough for safety. If right, they're already halfway there. Matters are now very much in their hands.

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Making his 150th appearance for Killie this afternoon, Danny Armstrong turned up when it mattered most.

An assist for the opener and a game-high four chances created by the winger.

He hasn't quite had as impressive a season as last year, but he was back to his dynamic and creative self against Ross County.

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Kilmarnock captain Kyle Vassell has had a setback with an ankle injury, but Rory McKenzie is available after recovering from a thigh injury and Matty Kennedy is back training. Kyle Magennis (knee) remains out.

Ross County's Andrew Macleod will see a specialist to ascertain the seriousness of a groin injury. Noah Chilvers (knee) and Ryan Leak (Achilles) remain out.

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Corrie Ndaba hopes Kilmarnock can claim their first win against Ross County this season when the Dingwall side travel to Rugby Park on Saturday.

Derek McInnes' side are ninth in the Premiership table, above County on goal difference and just one point in front of Dundee in the relegation play-off spot.

Ndaba helped his side secure European football last season while on loan from Ipswich and made the permanent move in the summer, but Killie have not hit the same heights and will end this season in the bottom six.

County have won all three matches against Killie this season and the 25-year-old defender wants to end that run as his side try to avoid a relegation battle.

"[County] made it difficult for us," Ndaba said about the previous meetings.

"The games have been very physical and they've just always edged it and I'm buzzing to be playing them in the first game. We owe them one, so I'm excited for Saturday.

"When you do great things and get into Europe, you want to consistently do that and you have the hunger to do that again.

"Obviously it's disappointing not to be up there, you want to be in the best games against the best teams, but we're in the position we are. We have to accept that and do as well as you can here.

"At the start of the season we had a lot of disciplinary issues, a lot of games haven't gone our way, but ultimately we just haven't been good enough, we've been conceding too many goals, maybe not scoring as many as we have last season.

"We have to accept that and get focused on these games and do as well as we can."

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Derek McInnes is "annoyed" Kilmarnock have found themselves in the bottom six of the Scottish Premiership but insists they will "fight and scrap" for survival.

With five fixtures remaining the Rugby Park outfit, who finished fourth last season, are in ninth place, one point ahead of current relegation play-off spot occupants, Dundee and six in front of bottom side St Johnstone.

Before the first post-split game on Saturday at home to fellow strugglers County – who have won all three meetings so far this season – McInnes couldn't hide his anger at his club's predicament.

"I'm annoyed that we're in a situation," the Kilmarnock manager said.

"I'd rather not be in the bottom six, but the fact is we are and we've got to be honest and say that while there's not been a lot between us, we've not been good enough to get away from the teams that are around us.

"We've still got that opportunity now to deal with it, so it's just try to be as professional and switched on as possible and just deal with what's in front of us."

If Killie are to get the better off County for the first time this season, they'll need to do so without captain Kyle Vassell, who has had another setback with an ankle problem which has kept him out since January.

"We've had chances against Ross County but getting the first goal would be really key," McInnes added.

"I think we've beaten every team down there, except Ross County, but equally we've been beaten by everybody, so there's nothing between a lot of the teams.

"We've got to make sure we just concentrate on performance, concentrate on being more disciplined because I think that's a big part of it, as well when the games get a bit fraught ,but really just tap into what we've got here.

"We need to just try and make the most of the five games we've got and I believe we have enough in the squad to get the job done.

"But nobody's going to give us it, we're going to have to fight and scrap. No one is just going to not give us three points."

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• Along with Celtic, Ross County are one of two sides to win all three of their Scottish Premiership games against Kilmarnock this season; the last team to beat Killie four times in a single top-fight campaign were Rangers in 2010-11.

• In their top-fight history, Ross County have never beaten a particular opponent four times within the same campaign.

• Kilmarnock have only won one of their past seven league games (D1 L5), although that was their last at home, beating Motherwell 2-0. Indeed, a league-high 74% of their points in the Scottish Premiership this season have come at home (26/35).

• Ross County have lost their past four league games – the longest ongoing losing run in the Scottish Premiership this season. The Staggies last lost more in a row in August 2022 (six), and last did so within a single season in December 2020 (six).

• Ronan Hale has scored nine league goals this season and could become only the sixth player to score 10+ in a top-fight campaign for Ross County, after Liam Boyce (three times), Alex Schalk (2017-18), Regan Charles-Cook (2021-22), Jordan White (2022-23), and Simon Murray (2023-24).