Kilmarnock

We asked for your views on Kilmarnock's 1-0 win against Dundee United.

Here's what some of you said:

Frank: Not a classic game of football, however a welcome three points. Very tight league positions this season looks like six teams could be chasing a top six spot.

Kenny: Great to see Joe Wright back to his best. We're so much more comfortable with a back four, I wish Derek McInnes would stick with it. Good three points against a good team.

Robert: Massive three points. We've played better and lost this season but I'll take a scrappy win anytime. Wright and Lewis Mayo were immense at the back and generally what we lack in quality we make up for in effort and attitude. Both teams used long throws into the box incessantly which doesn't help the spectacle or the pace of the game.

Jim: The result is what counts today, not the performance. Some players stood up and were counted, although some others still made the same mistakes as before. All in all, they all gave their best and "dug in". Again it's the result, not the performance and this should settle the obvious nerves some players showed.

James: Not the greatest game you'll ever see but a win's a win. We dealt well with their forwards and set pieces. It was always going to be a scrappy goal but it's a bit rich of Jim Goodwin to complain about the goal given the goals they got on their last visit. I've seen plenty of really good games at Rugby Park.

Neil: Dundee United were poor and Killie were poor. I'll take the result but it only papers over the cracks that we are simply not good enough, poor first touches, unable to control the ball, punts up the park, and a team who have become shot shy. A vast improvement is needed from the team who play, and stop using the injured players as an excuse.

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• Will Ferry created five chances, his highest total in a single match in the Premiership.

• Kilmarnock have a record of W4, D0, L2 when scoring the opening goal in the Premiership this season.

• Dundee United have a record of W2, D1, L6 when conceding the opening goal in the Premiership this season.

• Marley Watkins has scored his fourth goal in the Premiership this season, netting for the first time since 20 October 2024 against Rangers.

Did you take in Kilmarnock's narrow win against Dundee United or were you following from home?

Have your say on the match, external

Kilmarnock manager Derek McInnes: "It's a mistake, maybe, from the goalkeeper. Marley uses his experience and just becomes a nuisance and gets the goal.

"Dundee United were better than us first half. Sometimes, you've just got to persevere and stay in the game. The one thing we did stand up to today is Dundee United's long throws and set plays. They're a huge team, they've got real weapons with that ball going in your box all the time. So, we had to defend that.

"We've played better in recent weeks and even this season and not won games. It's great we get our clean sheet. The win, the three points is terrific for us."

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Andy Campbell
BBC Scotland

After last season's top-six finish, Kilmarnock appeared to be in a fairly lowly position in 11th prior to this.

But a closer look at the points gap showed it would only take one positive result to alter that picture.

And so it proved, with Derek McInnes' side overtaking Ross County and Dundee and gaining ground on St Mirren.

Kilmarnock were similarly stout to Dundee United, recognising their visitors' prowess at set plays and deliveries in towards the predatory Sam Dalby.

After three narrow defeats in all competitions last month, the Marley Watkins goal meant February opened with a welcome change of fortune for McInnes' men and a repetition of last season's top-six finish is very much on.

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Kilmarnock goalkeeper Kieran O'Hara's second-half save to deny Sam Dalby kept the score goalless before Marley Watkins netted the hosts' winner. It was a fine block on to the crossbar by O'Hara.

Image source, SNS

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Brad Lyons is back for Kilmarnock but Rory McKenzie is touch and go and Matty Kennedy is not quite ready to return from a back injury.

Robby McCrorie (broken cheekbone), Kyle Vassell, Stuart Findlay (both ankle) and Innes Cameron (hamstring) remain out.

Dundee United could hand a debut to Allan Campbell and remain without Craig Sibbald (groin).

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Kilmarnock manager Derek McInnes says his side must start winning games now if they are to earn a top-six Scottish Premiership finish this season.

Last week's 3-2 defeat by Hearts means Killie sit second bottom, but just five points separate them and Hibs in sixth before they host Dundee United on Saturday.

The Rugby Park club finished fourth last season, with an impressive run of form before the split taking them into the top half, and McInnes is targeting a similar run.

"It feels as if there's a lot on the game and there is, with nine games to go before the split," he said. "There's a realisation that if we are going to be a top-six team we really need to get going with that.

"The time for finding our best form, digging deep, not feeling sorry for ourselves about injuries and decisions and really just to crack on and get results.

"We are only two wins shy of where we were last season and at this stage we went on a brilliant run and accumulated 18 points from the last nine games.

"We feel we have to do something similar – 15-16 points from the last nine games will give us a chance of the top six.

"It's important we maximise everything we have got and get the home support right behind the team. Rugby Park is pretty special when the team feed off the fans."

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• Kilmarnock are unbeaten in four Scottish Premiership matches against Dundee United (W2 D2), their longest undefeated run over the Tangerines in the top flight since a streak of six games from March 2005 to August 2006.

• Dundee United have only won one of their past 10 Scottish Premiership games away at Kilmarnock (D4 L5), and are winless in six (D3 L3) since a 4-2 victory in May 2016.

• Kilmarnock have conceded just one goal in total in their past five home league games combined (W3 D1 L1), although have failed to score in their past two at Rugby Park. Not since May 2017 have they gone three straight home games within a single season without a goal in the Scottish Premiership.

• Dundee United have lost three of their past four league games (W1), as many as their previous 15 beforehand (W7 D5 L3).

• Kilmarnock have drawn their past six Scottish Premiership games against newly-promoted opponents, with their last such win being against Dundee United in April 2021 (3-0). Killie are unbeaten in 10 home games against promoted sides in the competition (W5 D5) since a 3-0 loss to Hibernian in October 2017.

Charlotte Cohen
BBC Sport Scotland

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Derek McInnes insists it is "vitally important" Kilmarnock bring in reinforcements before the end of the January window.

Matty Kennedy, Rory McKenzie, Kyle Vassell, Innes Cameron, Stuart Findlay and Robby McCrorie are all unavailable for the Ayrshire club through injury.

McInnes is hopeful Brad Lyons - who picked up a hamstring injury in the Scottish Cup tie against Celtic - will be fit enough for the weekend visit of Dundee United.

The Rugby Park club have signed Scotland defender Calvin Ramsay on loan from Liverpool to strengthen their backline, but McInnes is seeking more new faces prior to the deadline on Monday (23:00 GMT).

"With the injuries we've had it's vitally important we try and do something if we can," the boss said.

"If everybody was fit I wouldn't be looking to do much at all, I feel as though we've got real strength in the squad but the window gives us potentially the ability to maybe act on the injuries we've got.

"There's no point in bringing somebody in just to be a number, we'd like to get somebody in who's going to help us.

"If we get the treatment room cleared everything will seem a bit rosier.

"If we do have the opportunity to bring someone, the board have always been really supportive of that and we can always ask the question."

Charlotte Cohen
BBC Sport Scotland

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Kilmarnock manager Derek McInnes has been speaking to the media as his side prepare to host Dundee United on Saturday.

Here are the main points:

• The Killie boss admits the injury list makes it "vitally important" the club try to do some transfer business before Monday's deadline but stresses "once the treatment room is cleared everything will seem a bit rosier".

• He says the whole team are "disappointed" with the defeat to Hearts last weekend, particularly given there were "encouraging" aspects to the performance.

• The Killie manager expresses his annoyance at VAR - "at this stage it should be far slicker" - after saying head of refereeing Willie Collum confirmed Hearts' first goal should have been disallowed.

• McInnes insists there's a lot riding on Saturday's match with just nine games to go before the split: "There's a realisation that if we're going to be a top-six team we really have to get going with it."

• On the challenge of United, McInnes says "I wish I could forget" the last game between the sides at Rugby Park when Killie conceded a 99th-minute penalty to draw 3-3.

• He hopes to have Brad Lyons back from injury this weekend but Rory McKenzie is still touch and go. Matty Kennedy's recovery is "taking a wee bit longer" than hoped and Robby McCrorie has undergone successful surgery after fracturing a cheekbone.

Jack Herrall
BBC Sport Scotland

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Four wins in 15 league games, second bottom of the Scottish Premiership, and looking bereft of confidence - are Kilmarnock heading towards a relegation battle?

While a single issue can't tell the whole story of why a team may look out of sorts, Killie's ongoing underperformance in front of goal is crossing the line from a bad run to worryingly poor.

Early-season European football inevitably disrupted a squad unaccustomed to it, but they have failed to rediscover the dynamism of last season.

Since the end of October, Kilmarnock have recorded the worst xG underperformance (-3.81), the second-lowest shot conversion rate (7.9%), and the third-lowest big chance conversion rate (41.4%) in the Premiership, all despite ranking third for shots (202) and fourth for shots on target (67).

So, with under a week to go in the transfer window, does Derek McInnes need to bolster his attacking options?

Young Bobby Wales is doing a valiant job in his first sustained run in the side, but relying on a 19-year-old to pull the team out of a relegation scrap is neither ideal nor fair on the player.

Bruce Anderson's eight-goal haul in the top flight is impressive too, but McInnes seems reluctant to give him a consistent run up top, often favouring Kyle Vassell with Marley Watkins when both are fit.

The dip in form from the likely-to-depart Danny Armstrong hasn't helped Killie either. The winger was the main catalyst for the European-clinching campaign last season but he is now routinely consigned to the bench and brought on for cameos, while Matty Kennedy's injury has deprived the Rugby Park side of their most influential player from the early months of the season.

On the potential for any late-window moves, McInnes said last week: "Finances are tight and it's not easy to get things done. If everybody's fit, we probably wouldn't be looking to do anything.

"We are trying to deal with a situation with quite a lot of key players out and unavailable. So I think it's my job to continue to look. Whether we can get anything into the building remains to be seen."

Killie, like most clubs, are used to leaving it late, particularly in the tricky January window.

But it may be worth pushing the boat out now to bolster their attacking threats - or risk returning to the relegation play-off for the first time since 2021.

Sandy Armour
Fan writer

Killie slipped into the relegation play-off spot with an error-strewn defeat at Tynecastle, not a happy hunting ground on this occasion.

Our Achilles heel all season has been our propensity for conceding soft goals and that was abundantly in evidence on Saturday.

Sadly it has been happening since August and the sooner we stop blaming VAR and take responsibility for our own shortcomings the sooner we might just climb the table.

On a positive note it was great to see Bobby Wales on the scoresheet again following on from Parkhead the previous week.

Along with David Watson he should be starting every week as we need their youthful enthusiasm, allied to their undoubted ability, to drag us out of this mess.

The table is still tight and can change very quickly but it's time to dump the excuses and do our talking on the park.

We have two massive home games now, starting with Dundee United in a televised match on Saturday.

Six points from these two matches could change the whole complexion of the season, however no points could see me increasingly worried.

Sandy Armour is editor of The Killie Hippo fanzine

Watch Sportscene analysis of Kilmarnock's 3-2 defeat against Hearts in the Scottish Premiership.

Watch highlights of Hearts' 3-2 win against Kilmarnock in the Scottish Premiership.

We asked for your views on Kilmarnock's 3-2 defeat against Hearts.

Here's what some of you said:

Anon: I'm in panic mode. Too many parallels with the season we went down. Two unreliable keepers, a real vulnerability at the back and a blind spot towards out of form players. We're in the mix with St Johnstone and Ross County - both beat us home and away this year. Worrying.

Stephen: Derek McInnes has become very adept at talking up a defeat, but the results speak for themselves. Worryingly, we are losing to teams round about us, teams that strengthened in the summer or January windows where we have stood still. At the moment we're heading for the dreaded play-off, potentially against our county rivals. Losing that would be Armageddon.

John: Killie were poor, poor goals to lose. Kieran O'Hara back making mistakes he is bad for that but pulls off the odd great save. We should try to get David Washington on loan from Chelsea.

Robert: Our defence has gifted goals all season, once is a mistake, twice is unfortunate, but more than two is downright incompetence and needs addressed, both in the transfer market and McInnes giving them a rocket and fining them. Why wasn't Bruce Anderson on before 87 minutes?

Ant: Sick of McInnes. We were chasing the game and he takes Liam Polworth and Kyle Magennis off, arguably our two most forward thinking midfielders. Table is tight but I have no belief in us getting results right now. McInnes tombola every week, with an ever-changing lineup isn't helping, no consistency or fluidity. Another manager could get a better tune from us.

Jim: As has been said before Killie are now in a relegation battle with St Johnstone. We are not safe as St Johnstone have already beat us at Rugby Park. Marley Watkins will not score for us. We need to play the young boys and get rid of the deadwood now!

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• Kilmarnock have failed to win in their last three games in the Premiership, their last longer winless streak was from 3 November 2024 to 7 December 2024, a run of six games.

• Hearts are undefeated in their last five games in the Premiership, their last longer unbeaten streak was from 16 December 2023 to 17 February 2024, a run of 10 games.

• Hearts have beaten Kilmarnock for the first time in the Premiership since 2 December 2023, a run of four games without a win.

• James Penrice has assisted three goals in the Premiership this season (one in this game), no Hearts player has more.

• Daniel Armstrong has assisted four goals in the Premiership this season (one in this game), more than any other Kilmarnock player.

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Kilmarnock boss Derek McInnes told BBC Scotland: "Yeah, I think there were two parts to it, I don't think we played that well in the first half, that said, I thought we dealt with Hearts playing the ball forward long and filling channels and winning that first contact.

"None more so than the goal we feel like Joe Wright is impeded, [Elton] Kabangu is offside when he kicks it when Craig Gordon kicks it, he impedes Joe from winning the header and while you're maybe waiting for the linesman to flag, you're certainly hoping that if he doesn't flag, then the VAR officials deals with that.

"If Kabangu doesn't do what he does, Joe Wright wins the header, he's in an offside position when Craig Gordon kicks it and it's such a poor decision. So we're frustrated with that.

"We're frustrated a bit at half time that we needed to show more. I thought we dealt a lot of their better players, I thought we kind of kept them quiet but we still didn't play well enough on the back of the first-half performance and we spoke about trying to get our strikers more engaged, running more, playing closer together and Marley [Watkins] makes an average ball from [Lewis] Mayo into a good ball, he runs the gap and puts a lovely ball in for Bobby [Wales] across the man and at one each we felt good.

"I felt though that we were playing better, I thought Danny's [Armstrong] introduction helped us, Fraser Murray was a constant threat on that side and we just needed to keep it that for a bit longer.

"There's no doubt the third one quickly after is a mistake.

"So two mistakes and a mistake from the officials, not John Beaton I need to say but from the VAR officials takes the game away from us, we respond as we always do, we score a brilliant second goal, typical Danny, good wing play, stand the ball up, wee Fraser on the opposite side, and it's game on and we missed a few opportunities after that, I think this was a real missed opportunity.

"We always feel coming to Tynecastle, particularly all my teams that have ever come, if you score two goals you normally either win it or get something for it, and two goals should have been enough to get something for the game."

Hearts held off a strong Kilmarnock fightback to win a five-goal thriller at Tynecastle Park and leapfrog Derek McInnes' side in the Scottish Premiership.

What did you think of that, Kilmarnock fans? Was that a fair result or did you deserve more at Tynecastle?

Let us know your thoughts, external.

Andrew Petrie
BBC Sport Scotland

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Derek McInnes was not a happy man at half-time, raging with his players from front to back as he seemed to think they weren't doing their jobs.

In truth, Hearts should have been more than 1-0 up at the break but whatever McInnes said, it worked. He also brought on Danny Armstrong - linked with a move to Hearts - who almost dragged Kilmarnock back into the match.

They immediately had more threat on the wings and both goals came down the right-hand side where Armstrong had replaced on-loan debutant Calvin Ramsay.

The Ayrshire side slip down to 11th place but given they sit seven points above St Johnstone, there is no need to panic just yet. They're only five points off the top six and if they can find the consistency they showed last season they should be fine.

Wales also provided a real threat up top and put in another good audition in the competition to be Kilmarnock's main striker.

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Danny Armstrong. The winger was introduced at the break and did his best to drag Kilmarnock back into the match, being involved in the first and assisting the second.

That might not be the best thing for Derek McInnes. Armstrong has been heavily linked with a move to Tynecastle and put on a show for his admirers.

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Hearts could include new signings Sander Kartum and Michael Steinwender, while Lawrence Shankland has a chance of returning after a five-game calf injury absence.

Calem Nieuwenhof is also in contention after being sidelined since last March with a hamstring problem. Frankie Kent (quad) and Stephen Kingsley (hamstring) are out long term.

Killie have lost Robby McCrorie (broken cheekbone), Brad Lyons (hamstring) and Rory McKenzie (stomach) but have Kyle Magennis back.

Matty Kennedy (back), Kyle Vassell, Stuart Findlay (ankle) and Innes Cameron (hamstring) remain out.