Kilmarnock

Sandy Armour
Fan writer

Kilmarnock's draw with Hearts at the weekend meant five points out of nine from three very tricky games.

That is a vast improvement on the opening four matches so it seems manager Neil McCann has seen the error of his ways at last.

We are now playing four at the back, which makes us much more solid as the goals against stats will show.

Many fans expected to see an expansive and exciting front-foot style this season but that has not happened yet.

After shipping 13 goals in the opening three league matches it was vital we developed a more stable formation and hopefully our own scoring rate will ramp up as the confidence returns.

We have a large number of players away during the international break, which the club can be proud of, although we don't want any coming back with bad injuries.

Young defender Cathal McCarthy, who is away with Republic of Ireland Under-21s, looks a class act and I look forward to see him getting better as the season progresses.

Sandy Armour is editor of The Killie Hippo fanzine

Sportscene analyst James McFadden assesses Kilmarnock's approach after their 1-1 Scottish Premiership draw with Hearts.

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Kilmarnock boss Neil McCann said the break is "probably" coming at the wrong time for Killie after they made it three league games unbeaten, with just one goal conceded, having lost each of their first four.

"We want more points than what we've got but I think on reflection, with the start of the season we've had and the goals that we were conceding early on, to get the return that we've now got and the (recent) goals-against column, is a lot more pleasing," he said.

McCann revealed Killie face an anxious wait to learn the extent of a knee injury sustained by first-choice keeper Max Stryjek, who was replaced by Calum Ferrie for the Hearts game.

"We'll just need to assess it," said the manager. "It would be wrong of me to even speculate, but he's pretty sore."

The manager was disappointed not to close out victory but proud of his team's effort as they made it three league games in a row unbeaten.

"Hearts were asking us all sorts of questions but in terms of sheer endeavour and actually digging in, I thought we had a wee bit of comfort in defending as well," he said.

"When you get so late into the match, you're just trying to see it out so I'm disappointed but there's still an enormous amount of pride.

"To go away to Pittodrie, away to Easter Road and then take on Hearts tonight, to pick up five points from that is really ballsy."

Hearts recover from a disallowed first-half goal and a concession to draw with hosts Kilmarnock in the Scottish Premiership (UK only).

Kilmarnock fans, we asked for your opinions on the 1-1 draw with Hearts. Here's a taste of what you had to say...

Robert: All I ever want as a Killie fan is that the team leave the pitch having given every ounce of effort for the best possible result. We got that.

Anna: Didn't think we'd get anything from Hearts and Hibs, but four points from six is pretty decent. It was a rather scrappy game but a lapse of concentration cost us the win - at least we didn't concede more goals. There's still work to do for Neil McCann and his team but these last two performances have given me more confidence that we will come good eventually. The only way is up.

Danny: Nice to pick up a point but it's two points dropped. Still not convinced McCann is the right man to take the club forward.

Gary: A better performance from the team but still a big lack of composure, especially from our captain, when getting into good positions. We could and should have been out of sight before they equalised. A few injuries and we are in trouble as the bench lacks any real quality.

Frank: That was a good point. Killie had the best of the first half. When Hearts brought on their second half substitutes there was a possibility we could have been overwhelmed. The group stayed together well during that spell.

There has been a vast improvement over the last two games. The international break could help big Max Stryjek get fit hopefully. Are we now seeing the true Kilmarnock?

Johnny: Much-improved team performance today. Credit to all the guys for sticking together and giving Hearts a game of it. Well-earned point. Here's to more direct, route-one football.

Andrew: Neil McCann is embellishing our performance on Saturday night. Too many loose passes, spells of poor concentration, a lot of back and side passes. Unlike Max, Calum Ferrie is not good at passing the ball with his feet.

Neil may need to reassess our goalkeeper passing out to our defenders as Ferrie had a few scary moments when his passing wasn't accurate enough. Fortunately it didn't cost us losing goals against Hearts.

I am still not convinced our management team can take us up the league to a reasonable position. We cannot afford a Kettlewell situation, similar to last season. For me the tandem should be called for McCann and Dodds when we lose two games in a row.

A foreign coach who is able to entertain, play one-two touch football, sign players with good technical skills with a good CV of playing percentage football should be the Kilmarnock board's next appointment - not the Scottish, recycled management, failures.

Stephen Kingsley's 85th-minute strike denied Kilmarnock a debut home Scottish Premiership win of the season - but Hearts' search for a first league victory outside Edinburgh since January goes on.

Read the full match report here

Have your say on the game via this link

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Kilmarnock manager Neil McCann tells Premier Sports: "I think the boys put so much into the game and you get to 80-odd minutes and think you can see it out.

"We probably should have dealt with it better for the equaliser but I said to them I can't be too disappointed.

"I'm steadfast in my belief this team will get better and better and the season goes on.

"I thought in the first half we were really hard to break down. Hearts have been on a good run up until midweek. We knew they'd ask us a lot of questions and so the togetherness at that point is really important."

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Tom Lowery has signed a contract extension at Kilmarnock until the summer of 2028, with manager Neil McCann predicting "so much more to come" from the midfielder.

The 28-year-old Welshman arrived as a free agent at Rugby Park in July 2025 after a spell with Portsmouth.

He has made 36 appearances for Killie, scoring once.

"I can't speak highly enough of him in terms of his personality in our dressing room, and his character," McCann told club media. "Tom has been a revelation.

"If I think back to when I had just come in, he played at Motherwell and he got sent off, it took him a long time to get back into the team. He never showed anything other than a first-class attitude to get himself back into the team. When he did, he was sensational.

"There's so much more to come from him. Hopefully, as a coaching team we can still develop him. There will have been a lot of people looking at Tom and how he plays the game with admiring eyes, so I'm delighted he's committed his future here.

"It's good for us as a club because it tells me that our best players want to be here, which is brilliant testimonial to what we're trying to do."

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Kilmarnock will be without the suspended Djenairo Daniels and injured Robbie Deas (ankle), while on-loan defender MJ Kamson-Kamara is unable to face his parent club.

Hearts trio Ageu, Malachi Fagan-Walcott and Finlay Pollock are pushing for a return to the squad following long-term lay-offs, while Tomas Magnusson and Oisin McEntee face late fitness checks.

Craig Halkett (Achilles), Blair Spittal (shin) and Tom Renaud (ankle) are out long-term.

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Neil McCann hopes Kilmarnock's first league win of the season marks a "fresh start" as he urged his side to build on it by beating Hearts.

Kilmarnock eased some of the pressure on McCann on Tuesday night when George Stanger's close-range finish secured a 1-0 victory at struggling Hibernian, their first win in six league games after the frustration of exiting the League Cup to 10-man Aberdeen.

It has given the club a much-needed lift before Saturday's visit of third-placed Hearts.

"We felt the team were capable of getting a result because of performances I feel have been coming and we as a staff feel have been coming, the players as well," manager McCann said.

"We looked a real threat. We had to deal with some incredible adversity coming our way with some of the decisions. We didn't overreact to them. We stayed calm.

"We defended with so much unity, grit and determination to hang on in the face of adversity against a team that got a lift…they pushed us all the way. So normally the three points is very pleasing for us, but as you rightly say, the manner, the performance was just incredible."

McCann fumed over two penalty claims that went unrewarded before Djenairo Daniels was sent off for a second booking in stoppage time, but said the response of his players can carry them forward after a tough start to the campaign.

"I can't speak highly enough of (the players) and how they want to play the game," he added. "But as I said after the game, it's three points only and hopefully it's a fresh start for us and we can build on that tomorrow night."

• Kilmarnock have lost all three of their home league games this season, last losing four in a row in the Scottish Premiership in August 2017, and last doing so within a single campaign in May 2015.

• Hearts have scored a league-high four goals from set-pieces (excluding penalties) in the Premiership this season, while Kilmarnock have conceded the most from non-penalty set-pieces (5).

• After their 1-0 victory in March, Kilmarnock are looking for back-to-back home wins over Hearts in the league for the first time since March 2014.

• Hearts' past six away league games against Kilmarnock have featured just seven goals in total (2 Kilmarnock, 5 Hearts), with at least one side failing to score in all six of those meetings.

• Hearts have only won twice in their past 10 away league matches (D2 L6), both coming at rivals Hibernian (2-1 in April, 3-1 in September).

Hibs lose 1-0 at home to struggling Kilmarnock for a third straight Scottish Premiership defeat, leading to the sacking of head coach David Gray. (Available to UK users only)

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Kilmarnock's first league win of the season away to Hibs on Tuesday "relieves a huge amount of pressure" on manager Neil McCann, according to the club's former goalkeeper Cammy Bell.

The Rugby Park side remain bottom of the Premiership after a 1-0 success in Edinburgh.

However, the points provide a badly-needed boost after a shaky start to the season and a hugely disappointing League Cup exit at home to Aberdeen at the weekend.

"It was a huge result," Bell told the BBC Scottish Football Podcast. "Just exactly what Neil McCann wanted.

"It's a clean sheet. That's been a problem this season, conceding far too many goals and not allowing themselves the chance to go and take points from games.

"Kilmarnock had to bounce back from the cup defeat. It's been 12 years since they've won at Easter Road and it was a brilliant victory - and one Neil McCann really, really needed.

"When you listen to his comments, you know he believes in his group. He says they haven't been getting the results they deserve for the work they've been putting in.

"They had to defend for periods, but they were really good on the ball as well. They offered a number of attacking threats."

Kilmarnock host Hearts on Saturday evening, looking to complete a capital double which could hoist them up the table before a long international break.

"It was a couple of tough fixtures," added Bell. "They were looking at Hibs and Hearts back-to-back and desperate for a win.

"Now that just relieves a huge amount of pressure on Neil McCann and allows them to go and play Hearts, who've had that disappointment as well (losing away to Falkirk)."

We asked for your views after Kilmarnock beat Hibs 1-0 at Easter Road for a first league victory of the season.

Here's what some of you said:

Frank: That result may have put the manager's job on hold for the present. It was a scrappy affair, but a well-deserved victory which could have been more. The officials were shocking, two clear penalties which may have been given with other officials who know the laws of the game. Hopefully this will kickstart our season onwards and upwards.

Anna: It's been a long time coming but it's important we got that first win. Who knows if it'll be enough to save Neil McCann from the chop. I feel if we can get points against Hearts before the international break it'll help stabilise his position. The only way for us now is up.

Gary: A win and a clean sheet at last but it should have been so much easier. Lack of composure in the final third is going to harm us this season and lack of strength in depth on the bench is a worry.

Alan: A fantastic performance from Killie, well deserved and should have been a lot more. Credit to the players and manager for turning it around after Saturday's disappointment. How the penalties are not given just sums up Scottish refereeing. Well done, and roll on Saturday.

Robert: Three points and a thoroughly deserved win. Thankfully the missed chances didn't come back to haunt us. Can't believe the referee didn't award two penalties and at least one red card. VAR a waste of money.

Robert: Great win despite the ref and VAR attempts to let Hibs back in. Shockingly bad decision in the second half to deny Killie two penalties and a perfectly good goal.

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Kilmarnock head coach Neil McCann: "Sometimes from the outside it's easy to not find positives, because of our points and the goals against us. But hopefully we've found a positive tonight.

"We know as a staff how hard those boys are working. It's difficult when you're conceding goals and not winning games but my God, they kept going tonight. They showed there's a bit of steel in there as well.

"We were asked so many difficult questions tonight. At 2-0 up, it's taken away from us. A stonewall penalty on Joe Hugill, which would have been a red card, we don't get it.

"Our character has been tested. The fans were asking questions and voicing their displeasure at times. But we stood up to it. Nobody can say we didn't deserve it.

"That word 'unity' is a good one to use, it's what we've got in this team. But all we've done is get three points on the board, but I'm very proud."

Kilmarnock finally got their first Scottish Premiership victory of the season, consigning Hibernian to a sixth home league defeat in a row with a hard-fought win at Easter Road.

Read the full match report here.

Have your say on the game here.

Sandy Armour
Fan writer

Football managers must tremble with fear when they approach an international break as club owners tend to use the prolonged rest to hire and fire their bosses.

Neil McCann therefore must be shaking in his shoes as a big majority of Killie fans feel his time is up.

Our League Cup exit was embarrassing as we simply had no clue how to break down 10-man Aberdeen.

The manager attempted to change our fortunes throughout, but every switch of formation and every substitution progressively made us worse.

The penalty kick attempts were a disgrace, whatever happened to putting your foot through the ball rather than a tame sidefooted effort?

We have two games before the break but a trip to Easter Road followed by a visit from Hearts doesn't raise my hopes that we are going to get our first three points of the season.

Sandy Armour is editor of The Killie Hippo fanzine

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Hibernian centre-half Grant Hanley returns from injury, while striker Owen Elding is also set for a comeback at home to Kilmarnock in the Scottish Premiership on Tuesday.

Jordan Obita and Rocky Bushiri remain are on the sidelines.

Kilmarnock are still without centre-back Robbie Deas through injury.

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Rory McKenzie "can feel the pain" of fellow Kilmarnock fans, especially as the 32-year-old midfielder fears Saturday's Scottish Cup quarter-final defeat by Aberdeen "could be the last chance I get" to play at Hampden Park again.

Having held the Dons to a goalless draw in their previous game in the Scottish Premiership, Kilmarnock failed to take advantage of the visitors being reduced to 10 men and exited after a penalty shoot-out.

"I'm a fan, I feel it," McKenzie, who made his debut for the Ayrshire club in 2011, said. "One of the best days I've ever had was going to Hampden. I'm getting on in my career and it could be the last chance I get.

"Believe me, I feel their pain. I know how it feels.

"We won't get a better chance of getting to a semi-final than that. It was on a plate for us, 1-1, man sent off. We just failed to capitalise and didn't play with enough intensity.

"The balls in the box were really easy for Aberdeen to defend what they had. As soon as you get the penalties, it's a lottery, especially with our record, it's a poor record.

"Countless times at this stage of the competition we've not gone through.

"It's just tough to take the way we limped out."

Tuesday's trip to face Hibernian is the start of a run of five matches against teams that finished in the top six of the Premiership last season.

"It's a massive game and we've got a tough run of games," McKenzie added. "We need to start picking up points."