Kilmarnock

Jacob Murrell scored again and Falkirk were the beneficiaries of two own goals in defeating Kilmarnock in the Scottish Premiership.

MATCH REPORT

HAVE YOUR SAY

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Kilmarnock manager Neil McCann: "Just a horrible game of football. Conditions were shocking to try and play in. The surface obviously doesn't make that any easier.

"Falkirk just did the basics right today. They did them better than us and that's why they're really happy, I'd imagine, with a three points.

"We got probably guilty and caught up in trying to get the ball down continually. It wasn't for that. Basic football was required today. We had to do the ugly things right today and unfortunately we didn't."

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Falkirk are likely to remain without Aodhan Doherty (foot), Joe Gardner (thigh), Keelan Adams and Ethan Laidlaw (both ankle).

Kilmarnock goalkeeper Max Stryjek is out long term with a knee injury, while Bailey Rice has a groin problem and Neil McCann has several unnamed doubts.

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Jamie Brandon has stressed the importance of building on Kilmarnock's second Premiership win of the season when they travel to Falkirk on Saturday.

Killie's 3-2 victory over Motherwell at Rugby Park last weekend took Neil McCann's side off the bottom of the table by one point, their place taken by Hibernian, who lost at home to the Bairns.

Brandon knows the importance of using that welcome win as a platform.

The 28-year-old defender said: "I think we've been performing well throughout this season and maybe not getting the results we feel we deserved.

"With wins comes confidence, we obviously got that win at Easter Road (1-0) as well which I think was massive.

"So I think we're starting to go in the right direction. It has to be (backing that up). It's always about the next game and trying to get three points from that.

"It will be a difficult game. Falkirk are a good team, they have showed this season that they have a variety to their play as well, where they can play different styles.

"Against Hibs, they sat deeper and hit on the break. They are a good team so we expect it to be a difficult game."

Brandon took over from injured MJ Kamson-Kamara after just 33 minutes against Killie and hopes to have done enough to keep his place.

The former Hearts and Livingston player said: "Like any footballer you want to play every game, you want to start every game.

"When you are watching the game you are paying attention to everything that is happening, looking at their weak points and strong points as well.

"I wasn't expecting to go on at 30 minutes, not many people do, but I was delighted when I came on and did well in the game.

"Everyone wants to play as many games as possible and it is another opportunity to go and put points on the board."

• Falkirk won all three of their Scottish Premiership games against Kilmarnock last season by an aggregate score of 9-2.

• Kilmarnock rank bottom of the 2026-27 Scottish Premiership for xG (10.1) and xGA (20.9).

• Only Rangers (10.1) have lower PPDA (opposition passes per defensive action) than Falkirk (11.4) in the Premiership this season, while the Bairns have made the joint-most high turnovers (77, level with Celtic and Rangers).

• Kilmarnock have won just one of their past eight top-flight matches against Falkirk (D3 L4), although that did come away from home in February 2010 (1-0).

• Falkirk have won two of their past four league games (D1 L1), as many as their previous 14 beforehand (W2 D3 L9). The Bairns could win successive matches in the Premiership for the first time since February.

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Kilmarnock manager Neil McCann says a refusal to panic is behind their recent upturn in form.

The Rugby Park outfit climbed off the bottom of the Scottish Premiership with a thrilling win against Motherwell on Saturday.

Killie have now lost only one of their past five league games after four straight losses to start the campaign.

"It's about making sure that you're giving everything that you possibly can," McCann said, before Saturday's trip to Falkirk.

"That's in possession and out of possession. And if for whatever reason it doesn't work out, the last thing you do is hit the panic button.

"It makes clouded decisions, it creates uncertainty, it creates bad decisions more often than not when you're starting to panic.

"I think that's probably one of the big things that came through loud and clear in the last couple of games in particular. Didn't panic.

"Three-nil down at Ibrox, kept to the plan, kept to what we've been working on, and we were sensational in the second half.

"Saturday, get pegged back to 1-1, 2-1 down, stayed calm, stuck to the plan. Trusted their game, and got their rewards.

"So yeah, it has to be a bit of that.

"There's going to need [to be] a bit of panic now and again in games when you are potentially not on the right side of the result and you need to take a few more risks than normal but look, I'm really pleased how they're starting to develop."

Sandy Armour
Fan writer

I suppose if you have two teams who struggle to defend you'll get goals and that's what happened on Saturday.

The game was wide open from the first minute until the last, although overall Killie just about deserved the win.

Neil McCann decided to keep a centre-back at right-back then quickly realised it wasn't advisable and made the early change.

Jamie Brandon coming on as well as Aaron Tshibola replacing Bailey Rice were the alterations that gave us control in the match and both were excellent.

Calum Ferrie played well and will feel a little perturbed at conceding twice as he made several decent stops.

The finishes for the three goals, from Greg Kiltie and Tyreece John-Jules, were superb and Joe Hugill didn't give the Motherwell backline a moment's peace.

It was a badly-needed three points and we now head up to Grangemouth with renewed confidence.

We were poor away to Falkirk last season, losing 3-1 and 5-1, so the players owe the loyal travelling fans a decent performance - I'll go for a 2-1 Killie victory.

Sandy Armour is editor of The Killie Hippo fanzine

Kilmarnock manager Neil McCann stressed new signing Nico Mantl has a fight for the goalkeeper's jersey after Calum Ferrie delivered a big performance in Saturday's 3-2 win over Motherwell. (The Herald), external

Read Tuesday's Scottish football gossip

The Sportscene team discuss how manager Neil McCann has steadied the ship at Kilmarnock after an alarming start to the campaign.

Watch Sportscene highlights of the weekend's top-flight action

Watch all the highlights as Kilmarnock moved off the bottom of the Scottish Premiership, and confined Motherwell to a fifth successive defeat with a victory at Rugby Park. Available to UK users only.

Kilmarnock fans, we asked for your views after Saturday's home win against Motherwell.

Here's what some of you had to say:

Adam: Unconvinced. Calamitous defending and looking vulnerable any time any team puts a ball into the box or lines up a shot. "We'll score four if you score three" may be chaotically entertaining but it's not sustainable

Frank: A long awaited home win, and not without some style. They changes the manager made all the difference. Jamie Brandon looks like he is back to his best. Lots of points available hopefully over the next few games.

Robert: Not perfect but brilliant to drive home with three points in the bag. You can see the confidence growing with several players getting back close to where they were at end of last season. Neil McCann was absolutely right to make the change at right back when he did, Brandon had best game and I really liked the young Welsh lad [Ieuan Owen] when he came on. Onwards and upwards.

Anna: A much better performance from the boys. They were solid at the back and kept creating chances to score. The substitutions were made at a time when we could make good use of them all, and not with minutes to go. I'd like to see them go to two up front again, but apart from that things aren't so bad. After a performance like this I'm hopeful for the rest of the season.

Doug: Killie are on the mend. Eight points from their last five games, when it includes visits to Pittodrie, Easter Road and Ibrox, is decent. Now they must take this form to Falkirk and Dundee and at least get something from both matches. Great to see Tyreece John-Jules looking like his old self again, Greg Kiltie leading by example and Brandon chipping in with a couple of assists.

Gary: Good to get the result but once again bad finishing and a lack of composure when it matters. If we took half our chances it would be top six with a plus goal difference. Need to give our new goalie a chance as I've got no faith in Calum Ferrie.

Hearts centre-half MJ Kamson Kamara, the 20-year-old signed from Lincoln City this summer, says Kilmarnock manager Neil McCann is helping him through a transition to right-back while on loan. (Edinburgh Evening News, external)

Read Sunday's Scottish Gossip in full.

Kilmarnock inflicted a fifth Scottish Premiership defeat in a row on Motherwell in a five-goal thriller at Rugby Park to lift Neil McCann's side off the bottom of the table.

Read the full match report here

Have your say on the game via this link

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Kilmarnock manager Neil McCann tells BBC Scotland: "I'm delighted to come out on the right side of the result.

"It promised a good game of football. I did say I'd take a 1-0 but I'm really happy to take a 3-2. I thought there was a lot to like about the performance.

"[Management] It's not an enjoyable job sometimes but there's so much to like about it now. The first goal was a good counter, good press. We adjusted a few things at half time and I thought in the second half we completely deserved our win.

"We had so many other opportunities. We don't have to kill everybody through the middle and I think we were guilty of that at times in the first half so we changed at half time and tried to get the ball out wide.

"At times we had to dig in because Motherwell are a dangerous side but I'm pleased we're off the back of a home win.

"I thought we were up and running a few weeks ago. It's tightened things up [in the table] but I'm not getting too carried away.

"All I'm interested in is what kind of performances we're putting in and I think now it's group of players who believe they're capable of winning games. "

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Kilmarnock goalkeeper Max Stryjek remains out for a considerable period of time with a knee injury, but otherwise boss Neil McCann is pleased with the numbers available.

Motherwell welcome back Johnny Koutroumbis but Dylan Williams, Regan Charles-Cook, Oscar Priestman and Callum Hendry are set to miss out.

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MJ Kamson-Kamara is reading little into Kilmarnock's Premiership position as they remain rooted to the bottom of the table.

The 20-year-old centre-back joined Killie on loan from Hearts until January 2027, but due to a fixture against his parent club, which ruled him out, and an extended international break, the Sierra Leone international made only his second appearance last weekend against Rangers.

The 3-1 defeat for Neil McCann's side, who were praised for their second-half performance where they missed several chances, kept them bottom of the table, one point behind Falkirk after eight games and with just a sole league win this season.

However, Kamson-Kamara, who made his Sierra Leone debut in an AFCON qualifier against Zimbabwe last month, said: "The league position doesn't mean anything at this stage of the season.

"We have played well, we just haven't got the rewards from us playing well.

"We're all confident, the gaffer gives us confidence and he believes in us and we believe in each other, because we know we're a good bunch of boys.

"So yeah, I think this Saturday we can start to really kick on.

"Since I've come in we've shown good glimpses, we've kept the ball at times and not got the rewards from it, and it's [about] starting to get the goals and keeping it tight at the back.

"I think if we start to do that, we'll start punishing teams.

"We had a good spell, especially in the second half (at Ibrox) where we could have finished some chances, but I think we can take some confidence from that game.

"I know losing 3-1 is not ideal. But we can take some confidence into the home game against Motherwell and hopefully get three points."

Jack Herrall
BBC Sport Scotland

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Kilmarnock have announced the signing of German goalkeeper Nico Mantl on a deal until the end of the season.

Mantl has represented his country at under-21 international level four times, and is a two-time Austrian Bundesliga and cup champion with Red Bull Salzburg, where he played 11 times.

The 26-year-old has played in the Danish, Austrian and Portuguese top flights, having most recently played with Portuguese side Arouca.

He will provide cover in a troublesome position for Killie, who are without regular goalkeeper Max Stryjek through injury.

Killie had already signed goalkeeper Dave Richards earlier this month, but his move to Kilmarnock fell through after the English FA refused to grant international clearance.

The club have said the 26-year-old's signing is still subject to Scottish FA approval, the UK Government granting an international sportsperson visa, and receipt of International Clearance.

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• Motherwell's Emmanuel Longelo has created the most chances of any player without an assist yet in this season's Scottish Premiership (14), while also ranking joint-fourth for most shots without scoring (12).

• Motherwell have lost four consecutive Scottish Premiership league games for the first time since February 2025 (5 in a row). It wasn't until their 29th league match of last season that the Steelmen suffered their fourth defeat.

• Kilmarnock have the joint-fewest points (1, level with Hibernian), joint-fewest goals (2, level with Aberdeen), and most goals conceded (11) at home of any side in the Scottish Premiership this season.

• Motherwell have won three of their last four Scottish Premiership matches against Kilmarnock (D1), as many as their previous 12 beforehand (W3 D5 L4).

• Kilmarnock have lost both of their last two league games against Motherwell, last losing three in a row in September 2017.

Jack Herrall
BBC Sport Scotland

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Kilmarnock manager Neil McCann has been speaking to the media before their home match against Motherwell this weekend.

Here are the key points from his press conference:

• Despite their valiant performance in their away loss to Rangers, McCann doesn't want his side to think that a performance alone is good enough, saying: "I don't want us to be the team that gets a pat on the back and is told, 'You were good today', and you're leaving Ibrox thinking that's okay. It's not okay where we want to be."

• McCann says he "still [has] an issue with the second one [goal] in terms of handball," but overall he added: "The manner in which we played was really pleasing. It's been a long time since I've seen an opposition go to Ibrox and create as many clean-cut chances and that's in my previous job as well."

• After an early season slump, Killie's form has improved, with McCann now hoping his team can take charge in games as they continue to plot their way off the bottom of the table: "It's getting in front and that's the task I'm charging the team with. You don't want to give teams starts. We've done it too many times this season. It makes it so difficult."

• While some key first-team players were away on international duty, McCann is now relishing a full week of preparation with the whole quota ahead of Motherwell's visit: "Having a full preparation week has been really, really positive for us. We had a number of boys play in the KDM Trophy on Tuesday night, so they're getting game time as well."

• On the current state of his squad's readiness, he adds: "Great, really quite chunky in terms of numbers, but it's brilliant. We always have young boys in amongst that as well to make them familiar with the group, and they're coming on a tonne."

• Visitors Motherwell are on a run of four straight defeats, but McCann knows his side will face a tough test: "This is a league that any team can show their true potential at any moment."

• McCann was full of praise for the impact home fans can have at Rugby Park: "The fans made a big impact that night [home draw against Hearts] and I hope that they're coming out."

Sandy Armour
Fan writer

Killie returned from the extended international break but rediscovered some bad habits as they lost at Ibrox.

We are bottom of the table thanks to losing a shed load of very soft goals in the opening weeks.

We had stabilised in defence once the manager sorted out his formation, however we reverted to type on Saturday and paid the price.

Neil McCann wants us to play in a progressive and attacking style, but he quickly needs to find a balance between playing on the front foot while remaining tight in defence.

On another day we may have scored three or four ourselves, but the game was over at half-time as we were already three down.

The next four games are massive for everyone but especially for the management team. If we can grab at least seven points we will be halfway up the table, however if we are still in 12th after these games the pressure will mount.

Motherwell come calling this weekend and three points would give everyone a lift. I'll predict a 2-0 Killie win.

Sandy Armour is editor of The Killie Hippo fanzine

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Former leading referees Dermot Gallagher, Bobby Madden and Mark Clattenburg have dismissed Neil McCann's complaints over Kevin Kelsy's goal in Rangers' 3-1 against Kilmarnock.

McCann felt the Rangers striker handled the ball on the ground before netting his side's second goal in the game at Ibrox.

But the former officials don't feel there's enough evidence to back up McCann's claims.

On Sky Sports News' Ref Watch, Gallagher said: "Does it rebound off the defender on to his hand? I don't know, we can't see there.

"But what I would say, if you're not certain, it's got to be a goal. You can't go penalising goals on the maybe."

While speaking on his So Near, Yet So VAR show on YouTube, Madden added: "I've been through the images in super slow motion. You can see the ball come in and Kelsy takes the contact on his chest. The next contact comes off the foot of the Kilmarnock defender and then the spin on the ball forces the ball to fall directly in front of Kelsy, and his arms are out.

"For me, I actually don't believe that it does strike his arm. Even if it does strike the arm, there's no clear footage to show that it does. So there's no way that VAR can intervene."

And Clattenburg agreed, adding: "There's no clear evidence here – keep with the onfield decision."