Jonathan Sutherland
Sportscene presenter
Comebacks don’t come much better than Kilmarnock's at Dundee on Sunday.
At his best, Matty Kennedy has the ability to come up with mercurial magic, as well as plenty of work-rate and team endeavour. Killie's match winner makes my Team of the Week.
Watch highlights as Kilmarnock win 3-2 against Dundee in the Scottish Premiership.
Image source, SNSKennedy slots home Killie's late winner
An ‘honest meeting’ in the wake of Kilmarnock’s disappointing home draw against Dundee United last weekend was a catalyst for their dramatic win away to Dundee on Saturday, revealed Derek McInnes.
Killie were 3-1 and cruising last weekend before conceding two late goals, but kick-started their season with their first league win with two late strikes of their own at Dens Park.
The Killie manager said: “We had an honest meeting on the Monday after the game.
“A draw at home felt like a defeat and it should, particularly in the manner that it happened.
“We said the only way we will start to feel better is by winning at Dens. It just shows you the contrast to how we felt.
“We shipped two points last week when our second-half performance deserved so much more against Dundee United.
“It was such a Kilmarnock performance in the second half, we were brilliant – stats back that up, all the rest of it. But today we went right through the wire.
“We will all feel a bit better about ourselves and hopefully we can move on now.”
Jane Lewis
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter
Image source, SNSMatty Kennedy says he put a smile on manager Derek McInnes' face by netting a late double in Kilmarnock's incredible three-goal comeback at 10-man Dundee.
With the Rugby Park side two down at Dens Park, McInnes' men scored three times in a remarkable eight-minute finale to snatch their first league win of the season.
After a tough start to the campaign, winger Kennedy says luck is finally starting to turn in the Ayrshire club's favour.
Speaking to BBC Scotland post-match, he added: "The gaffer has been on me to get in the box and score more goals this season, I've probably put a smile on his face this time.
"That's part of football getting the last-minute goal, you saw the fans enjoying themselves and the boys are ecstatic as well. The changing rooms is bouncing.
"We've played well this season, a wee bit of luck hasn't gone our way but it seems to have gone our way now. We've dug deep over the last few weeks, so we deserve that.
"People have heard how close the changing room is, we stick together. We've played well this season but results haven't gone our way. We'll be picking points up and we'll push up the table.
"We're a tight group of boys. To just get over the finish line and get your first your first win going into the international break, it's a really good feeling."
We asked for your views on Kilmarnock's 3-2 win against Dundee.
Here's what some of you said:
Frank: It's been swings and roundabouts this past couple of weeks. Last week we dropped two points and this week we were a bit fortunate to get the three points, in saying that, the game-changer was the substitutes. Think one or two who were substituted should have a rest and make way for the much-needed changes in the team.
Anna: Have to admit I gave up at 81 minutes and 2-0 down, but what an amazing comeback by the boys. I still say a back three doesn't work but in the end we got the result. Good to see Derek McInnes not leaving changes until the last minute and that helped. Now let's see if we can do a number on Rangers. It's definitely a case of onwards and keep progressing.
Robert: Red card deserved, it was a dreadful challenge. Great result but a performance bereft of ideas. Gary Mackay-Steven needs a run as much as Danny Armstrong needs a rest. Bruce Anderson or Bobby Wales should start ahead of Kyle Vassell, who also needs a rest. We should be at least two points better off than we are.
Anon: I know a lot of people will say McInnes didn't have the first-half tactics right, but we got three points so who cares? Choose to be happy! You saw Killie win three points and score three goals and Derek is a big part of that. Can things be better? Always! But if you don't take happiness in the positives, you're going to be miserable.
Scott: Fantastic win. I love how we never give up. Hopefully this is the start on our way up the table.
Gio: Have to say the plaudits given to the match-winners are well deserved, but just a wee word of praise for Rory McKenzie. I thought he had a great spell when he came on. I will leave the outpouring of obvious changes our gaffer needs to make to other people.
Image source, SNSTony Docherty's side have lost five points from winning positions in the league this season, only Dundee United (six) and St Mirren (seven) have lost more.
Kilmarnock have won after trailing at half-time away from home in the Premiership for the first time since 20 October 2018 against St Mirren (38 games without a win after trailing at half-time).
Killie have won after conceding the opening goal in the league for the first time since 16 March 2024 against St Mirren (eight games without a win).
Derek McInnes' side have won six points from losing positions in the top flight this season, more than any other team.
Kilmarnock have defeated Dundee for the first time in the Premiership since 15 December 2018, a run of five games without a win.
Matty Kennedy's 94th-minute strike completed Kilmarnock's incredible turnaround at Dens Park after they trailed 10-man Dundee by two goals with 10 minutes to go.
The late goal also gave Kilmarnock their first win of the season after a run of seven games without a victory.
What did you make of that, Kilmarnock fans? A deserved victory in the end?
And how does it feel to get that first win of the season at long last?
Image source, SNSKilmarnock manager Derek McInnes tells BBC Scotland: "We expected a tough game coming here, we saw the importance for both teams to get the win. The turning point was the red card to big Mo Sylla. He's not a dirty player, he's physical.
"We spoke at half-time about showing patience but having the urgency to move the ball quick. It was a catch-22.
"When you play against 10 men, it's not always going to be easy, they'll get one or two moments. I thought I had my answers on the bench and my bench were terrifically.
"We did it the hard way. The second [Dundee] goal came out of nothing. We had a lot to do at that point with so few minutes left. But boy, we did it.
"It was a brilliant turnaround. Matty Kennedy carried the fight for us, always producing shots and crosses. Rory McKenzie and Brad Lyons ran the game and kept us going. Gary Mackay-Steven, Bruce Anderson and Bobby Wales were terrific.
"It's something I'm maybe guilty of - not making my forward changes quicker - and I accept that. We got the benefit of it today. When we put the ball in the box, it looked like something would happen."
"On the second-half, it's no more than my players deserve. We're having to do so much to win a game. I'm delighted to win the game but there's things we need to be better at.
"It wasn't perfect, but it was a perfect ending."
Andrew Petrie
BBC Sport Scotland
Image source, SNSJust as he had mixed emotions last weekend, Derek McInnes must feel both delighted and perplexed by his side's performance in Dundee.
Comfortably second-best for much of this game, they did what Dundee United did to them last week and fought back late on - going one better to score three goals in 10 minutes.
The 'never say die'' attitude of this team has been written about before but this match more than any before epitomised the mentality of McInnes' side.
This time, it was the unsung heroes who did the business. Much has been written about Danny Armstrong and David Watson, but they were both subbed off when Kilmarnock's comeback began.
Instead it was Matty Kennedy, Gary Mackay-Steven, Bruce Anderson and Bobby Wales who were able to pick off a tiring Dundee defence and steal all three points when they appeared to everyone else to be beyond the horizon.
Image source, SNSMatty Kennedy. A hard worker who is often overlooked when the praise is dished out, but on his day he can be one of the trickiest wingers in the league.
For large spells today, he was quiet, as were the rest of his teammates. But his goal gave Kilmarnock the initiative to spark a comeback.
Image source, SNSDundee: McCracken, Portales, Koumetio, C Robertson, Ingram, Sylla, Cameron, Larkeche, Tiffoney, Main, Murray.
Substitutes: Carson, Astley, Mulligan, Adewumi, F Robertson, Braybrooke, Palmer-Houlden, Fraser, Vetro.
Kilmarnock: McCrorie, Mayo, Deas, Ndaba, Armstrong, Watson, Lyons, Donnelly, Kennedy, Vassell, Watkins.
Substitutes: O'Hara, Burroughs, McKenzie, Mackay-Steven, Murray, Cameron, Anderson, Wales, Bainbridge.
In: Robby McCrorie, goalkeeper (Rangers, undisclosed); Bruce Anderson, forward (Livingston); Corrie Ndaba, defender (Ipswich Town, loan to permanent, undisclosed).
Loan in: Jack Burroughs, midfielder (Coventry City); Oliver Bainbridge, defender (Sunderland); Stuart Findlay, defender (Oxford United, loan return).
Out: Greg Stewart, forward (Mohun Bagan Super Giant); Jack Sanders, defender (St Johnstone); Kerr McInroy, midfielder; Steven Warnock, midfielder; Aaron Quigg, midfielder.
Loan ended: Will Dennis, goalkeeper (Bournemouth); James Balagizi, midfielder (Liverpool); Kevin Van Veen, forward (Groningen); Tom Davies, defender (Cardiff City).
Loan out: Zander Craik, forward (Queen of the South); Ethan Brown, defender (Dumbarton); Kian Leslie, forward (Elgin City); Aidan Glavin, goalkeeper (Elgin City); Corey Armour, goalkeeper (Auchinleck Talbot); Andrew Miller, defender (Auchinleck Talbot).
Read the Scottish Premiership ins & outs in full here.
Image source, SNSDundee midfielder Mo Sylla has trained this week and could be in the squad despite collapsing after suffering an anaphylactic shock at half-time in last weekend’s defeat by Aberdeen.
Experienced defenders Jordan McGhee (calf) and Joe Shaughnessy (knee) remain sidelined while Charlie Reilly has joined Inverness on loan.
Kilmarnock's Joe Wright serves the second of a three-match suspension and fellow centre-back Stuart Findlay and midfielder Liam Polworth are struggling with calf knocks. Kyle Magennis is still working his way back from a long-term absence.
Image source, SNSDefender Robbie Deas is hoping he can return to the starting line-up and help give Kilmarnock their first league win of the season on Saturday.
Derek McInnes' side have drawn their last three amid a six-game winless opening to the campaign, with Deas only starting twice.
However, with Stuart Findlay injured and Joe Wright still suspended, it is likely the 24-year-old will be drafted back into the first XI for the trip to Dundee.
"It's been a frustrating start to the season, I was hoping to kick on," Deas said. "I've been frustrated, not playing as much as I'd like. I'm just dying to get on the park, do my part for the team, and get back to winning ways.
"We're just looking at the next game. The next game is the biggest game, as the old cliche goes. We've played well in quite a few games this season and just not got that result. It's not in the back of our minds, but we need it to kick on and achieve what we did last year."
Deas came off the bench to replaced the injured Findlay in the first half last weekend before Killie took a 3-1 lead before conceding two late goals to go from three points earned to one.
"It felt like a defeat," Deas added. "We set our standards last year so it's not good enough. The mood was extremely disappointed and annoyed but we've got to look at ourselves.
"It was three goals that could all have been easily dealt with. It's preventable, sloppy. All the goals [we've conceded] this season have been preventable."
Celtic & Rangers Euro defeats 'a taste of their own medicine'
Former Hearts, Dundee United and St Johnstone defender Ryan McGowan says non-Old Firm fans will have enjoyed Celtic and Rangers being given a "taste of their own medicine" by "taking a pasting" in Europe against teams with a bigger budget.
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Image source, SNSEach of the last five Scottish Premiership games between Dundee and Kilmarnock have been drawn, with four finishing 2-2 (the other 1-1 most recently).
Kilmarnock have only lost one of their last 17 Scottish Premiership meetings with Dundee (W5 D11) and are unbeaten in their last 10 (W3 D7) since a 1-0 defeat in May 2017.
Dundee have won just one of their last 14 league games (D6 L7), a 3-1 victory over Hearts in August, since which the Dark Blues have conceded exactly twice in four successive league matches (D2 L2).
Kilmarnock have drawn their last three league games, each by a different scoreline: 1-1 v Hibernian, 2-2 v St Mirren, and 3-3 v Dundee United. Not since March 2000 have Killie drawn four successive top-flight matches, a run which included a 2-2 stalemate with Dundee.
Marley Watkins has scored in is last two appearances in the Scottish Premiership; only twice previously has he netted in three in a row in the competition, doing so in October 2014 for Inverness Caledonian Thistle and in March last season for current side Kilmarnock.
Image source, SNSDerek McInnes "knows the consistency is there, it's just about finding it" for Kilmarnock as their search for a first win of the season continues.
They were agonisingly close to victory last week, coming from behind against Dundee United to lead 3-1, but ended up drawing due to a late away comeback which included that penalty deep into stoppage time.
While McInnes admits everyone would "benefit" from a win, he's not calling it a crisis that they haven't.
"We’re only six games in, and although we beat Rangers in the opening game last season we were actually quite slow out the blocks, we didn’t find ourselves until the end of October, we know that consistency is there so it’s just trying to find it now," he said as he prepares to face old friend Tony Docherty this weekend.
He added victory at Dens this weekend, the last game before the international break, would be perfect timing with Rangers on their return.
"Anytime you go into a game prior to the international break it’s important you try and enjoy that, this is the last game until we play Rangers," McInnes said. "Dundee will be the same, they’re looking for that win to take them into the break too.
"Tony's friend, and you want to see your pals well supported, you want to see them get a fair crack at the whip and I think he’s got that. There’s no doubt we’ve got a tough game on Saturday."
Sandy Armour
Fan writer
There is the odd time when you leave Rugby Park not knowing if it was a good or a bad result and Saturday was one such occasion.
In the first half we were a bit of a shambles with David Watson inexplicably dropped and Corrie Ndaba asked to play an unfamiliar role.
We handed the inititative to Dundee United and they took advantage with a one-goal lead at the break. We finally reverted back to a more recognisable line-up and proceeded to score three rapid goals with Watson outstanding in the heart of midfield.
In the past we have been guilty, at times, of poor game management and that is exactly what cost us the game. We started to look a bit nervous and gifted a soft second goal before referee Napier awarded the softest of soft penalties.
Ultimately we are still awaiting our first league win, although if your glass is half full we are on an unbeaten four-match run. During our first season back up the manager was guilty of overthinking and meddling too much with selections and formations and it felt like that again on Saturday.
We need to revert to keeping it simple and playing round pegs in round holes. Stuart Findlay will be a big miss but we have decent cover in defence as we head for a difficult game at Dens Park.
We have looked decent during parts of games so if we can put it all together for 90 minutes we may just grab a welcome three points.
Sandy Armour is editor of the Killie Hippo fanzine.
Four of Kilmarnock's Scottish Premiership fixtures over the winter period have been amended.
Killie's trip to Dundee, scheduled for Saturday, 11 January 2025, has been brought forward to Sunday, 3 November, at the request of both clubs.
Derek McInnes' visit to former assistant Tony Docherty's patch will kick-off at 15:00.
The following week, Killie host Celtic, now on Sunday, 10 November, due to it being selected for television coverage.
Rugby Park welcomes Brendan Rodgers' side at 15:00, also.
The trip to Fir Park before Christmas, originally scheduled for Saturday, 21 December has been brought forward to Friday, 20 December due to television selection. Kick-off against Motherwell is 19:45.
Finally, the reverse fixture against Stuart Kettlewell's side, originally due to be played on Saturday, 2 November, has been pushed back to Wednesday, 8 January at 19:45 due to Motherwel's Premier Sports Cup semi-final.
