Alex Dyer issues rallying cry to Kilmarnock amid poor spell of form

| 27 December 2020

Killie suffered their fifth consecutive defeat when losing to Livingston on Saturday.

Kilmarnock manager Alex Dyer is relying on hard work and belief to turn their form around.

Killie suffered their fifth consecutive defeat when Livingston substitute Scott Robinson lobbed Danny Rogers in the closing seconds at Rugby Park on Saturday.

The 2-1 defeat was Kilmarnock's eighth loss in nine Scottish Premiership games.

Dyer said: "We have to dig in, work hard and try to change things ourselves and nobody else is going to change it for us.

"We turn it around by keeping doing what we are doing and working hard.

"It's about having the belief and the confidence that it will change.

"It's the same bunch of players who have had good times and we need to find it again. With my help and the help of the staff they will find it."

Livingston had the best chance of a quiet first half only 60 seconds in when Rogers saved well from Jon Guthrie's header.

The second half soon came alive when Chris Burke netted Killie's first goal in five matches from the spot after Nicky Devlin was penalised for handball.

But Jay Emmanuel-Thomas scored his first league goal for Livi three minutes later when he picked up a loose ball and shot from 25 yards, the ball bouncing and going through the hands of Rogers.

Both teams pushed for a winner in wet and windy conditions and Robinson scored a brilliantly taken winner which leaves the Killie manager in dire need of points when his side travel to Motherwell on Wednesday.

Dyer said: "If we had won or got a point we would have gone home happy and be a bit more confident going into Wednesday's game. It wasn't to be but we have to start again on Wednesday.

"I will give them a day off, let them have some time with their family and we will come in on Monday and train and prepare ourselves for the next game. And that's all we can do."

Livingston sealed a sixth consecutive win since David Martindale took over as boss and Robinson ran straight for the technical area to spark celebrations among the players and staff.

"It was absolutely fantastic and the joy you get from a 92nd-minute winner is like nothing else," Martindale said.

"You could see that by the reaction from our bench and the players – it was brilliant.

"What that showed was that we're all in this together. When you get a winner in the dying seconds all the endorphins just come flying out and you celebrate it the way we did."