Kilmarnock

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Former Kilmarnock manager Jim Fleeting has died, aged 70.

Fleeting managed Killie between 1989 and 1992 after a stint with Stirling Albion. He later led the Scotland Women's National Team in 1998.

His playing career began with Norwich City before he moved to the USA to join Tampa Bay Rowdies.

He then spent five years with Ayr United before spells with Clyde and Greenock Morton.

After management, Fleeting became the Scottish FA's director of football development and trained renowned coaches such as Jose Mourinho

In a statement, Kilmarnock said: "The thoughts of everyone at Kilmarnock FC are with Jim's family - Irene, Barry and Julie - at this difficult time."

Jonathan Sutherland
Sportscene presenter

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Jerome Prior - Livingston

Five saves at Easter Road are unlikely to save Livingston's season, but they brought a clean sheet and a point nonetheless.

Warren O'Hora - Hibernian

Another solid showing from the centre-back and a clean sheet.

Kieran Tierney - Celtic

His character and class continues to help keep Celtic fighting for a league and cup double.

Michael Schjonning-Larsen - Kilmarnock

A huge goal against Hearts from the Estonian international to earn his Kilmarnock side a massive three points in their fight against relegation, and throw a massive spanner in the works of the Hearts title tilt.

Luca Stephenson - Dundee United

A brilliant, brave back-post header looked like it would give Dundee United all three points in the derby, but it wasn't to be.

Alex Gogic - St Mirren

If any player ever deserved the classic football hard man head bandage it's Alex Gogic. But the Cyprus international goes the extra mile.

With blood erupting from his head after a clash with a team-mate, there was no bandage required. Instead it took staples to stem the flow, topped off by a massive dollop of Vaseline. What a warrior.

He must be the most old-school player in the Premiership, and we love him for it. Great defensively against Rangers.

Nico Raskin - Rangers

Full of energy in the hurly-burly of midfield in poor conditions in Paisley. He delivered the assist for the vital goal.

Tuur Rommens - Rangers

Got high up the field to decisive effect as he sealed a big three points for Rangers.

Yang Hyun-Jun - Celtic

Two goals in a huge game to sink Motherwell. That is now six goals since Christmas for the South Korean international.

Barney Stewart - Falkirk

The young striker is brimming with belief after graduating to Premiership football. 16 goals now in all competitions for the 21-year-old - albeit half of them while on loan at Championship Dunfermline. Four goals in his last 3 games, huge potential.

Findlay Curtis - Kilmarnock

Has brought a bit of X-factor to the Kilmarnock attack. Looks like a player who can ignite things for the Rugby Park side as they fight to get out of the play-off spot.

The Scottish Premiership leaders stumble to a third successive away defeat as Kilmarnock dig out a deserved three points.

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Kilmarnock fans, we asked for your opinion on the vital 1-0 win over league leaders Hearts. Here's a taste of what you had to say...

Amy: Neil McCann got his team selection spot on (unlike against Falkirk) and we thoroughly deserved the three points. Should have been two or three up at the break. Aaron Tshibola was an absolute colossus in the midfield and was hands down the best player on the park. Hope you're getting nervous, St Mirren.

Anna: I'd have settled for a point but to get all three with a performance like that is priceless given the situation we're in. The team were solid all over the pitch and stopped Hearts playing their normal game.

For Michael Schjonning-Larsen to score his first goal for the club was pretty special. He has really impressed me with his performance and he could well turn out to be the best signing Neil McCann has made for us.

Vicky: Best performance by the boys in blue and white for a good while. Greg Kiltie, Tshibola and [Jamie] Brandon were outstanding. Important win and three points. Gave 100% for 100 minutes and thoroughly deserved the victory.

William: Is it worth sticking with this team line up as they seemed to gel from the game's start? Injuries aside, probably the most logical choice given our dreadful season.

Alan: An excellent performance and result, great performances from Tshibola and Kiltie in particular. Beggars belief how we were that bad at Falkirk. We are giving ourselves a fighting chance, but need to win next week against Livingston.

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Kilmarnock manager Neil McCann tells BBC Scotland: "There's a lot to like. I'm so proud of the players. We've had two weeks to dwell on the Falkirk result.

"The message was to play with risk and bravery, but that we would have to match Hearts.

"We knew they would throw balls in the box and be physical, but to a man we were outstanding and thoroughly deserved the three points.

"We did all the stuff off the ball so well. Derek [McInnes] is a first-class manager and we had to adjust our tactics to respect how Hearts would play.

"We had everything tonight and could have scored more as well. We tried to stay composed, they stuck their chests out and deserve their victory.

"The bar was set when we came in - what we expect as a coaching team. What we're doing at home is so pleasing. I want it to become a fortress."

Hearts' charge at the top of the Scottish Premiership was dealt a shock blow as Kilmarnock stunned the league leaders with a deserved victory at Rugby Park.

Read the match report here.

Have your say on the game here.

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Kilmarnock midfielder Jack Thomson returns from suspension while Kyle Magennis is back in training.

Tyreece John-Jules (quad), Djenairo Daniels (knee), Matty Kennedy (hip) and Lewis Mayo (hamstring) remain out.

Hearts welcome back Oisin McEntee, but Stephen Kingsley (calf), Craig Gordon (shoulder), Ageu (thigh), Cammy Devlin (ankle), Stuart Findlay, Lawrence Shankland, Calem Nieuwenhof and Finlay Pollock (all hamstring) are still unavailable.

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Kilmarnock full-back Jamie Brandon hopes to rediscover his early-season form as the Rugby Park outfit try to end the campaign on a high.

The former Livingston captain didn't lose any of his first eight matches with Killie, but has since struggled with injuries, meaning he only played two matches in almost six months.

Having returned to full fitness, Brandon wants to bounce back after a heavy defeat by Falkirk last time out.

"It's been a bit of a difficult season," Brandon said. "Obviously we are not sitting where we would like in the league and I've missed a large portion of it. So to get back on the pitch has been really enjoyable.

"I came in and started well and I was really enjoying my football. So if I can get back to that level of performance, it would be great."

Both sides are keen for points with Hearts seeking to at least maintain their lead at the top and Killie looking to move clear of the relegation battle.

"They are a great club, but we have to look at how we can get three points because we need them at this stage of the season," the former Hearts man said.

"They are obviously flying at the top of the league and it will be a difficult game, but we have got to believe in ourselves."

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• Claudio Braga has 12 league goals for Hearts in 2025-26, the most by a non-British/Irish player in their debut top-flight season with the club since Juanma in 2015-16 (also 12), while the last to net more was Rudi Skacel in 2005-06 (16). Eight of Braga's 12 Scottish Premiership goals have come away from home.

• Hearts have lost their past two away league outings, as many as in their first 12 of the season beforehand (W8 D2 L2). Hearts last suffered more successive away defeats in the Premiership in October 2024 (five).

• No side has lost more home games in the top flight this season than Kilmarnock (eight, level with Livingston). Killie haven't lost more on home soil in a single campaign in the competition since 2015-16 (11).

• Hearts have won their past two league visits to Kilmarnock and could win three in a row at Rugby Park in the top flight for the first time since January 2011.

• Kilmarnock have only secured two wins in their past 10 league meetings with Hearts (D4 L4), winning 2-1 in October 2024 and 1-0 in December 2024 (D1 L3 since those two).

Samuel Ukah
BBC Sport Scotland

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Manager Neil McCann has been speaking to the media before Kilmarnock's Premiership match with Hearts on Saturday.

Here are the key lines:

• Having not played since the 5-1 thrashing by Falkirk almost a fortnight ago, McCann says: "It's been a long time since that result for us all to just sit on it, the disappointment, and it's our first chance to put that behind us."

• He noted his side's "brilliant attitude in training" since that heavy defeat.

• McCann believes his side have been "right in it" in most other games and that result has given them a "jolt at maybe a good point in the season" before the split.

• On Hearts: "They're coming here with their own pressures to stay at the top of the table and I think they'll be thinking this is a hard game."

• Killie have been "really good at home of late" and McCann wants his side to maintain that form as they bid to upset Hearts.

• Knowing the visitors will "fill their section" with 5,000 fans, McCann pleaded for Kilmarnock supporters to "be on it" on Saturday night.

• The squad is looking "pretty strong", with McCann adding: "We've got a full group again training today."

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Kilmarnock striker Marcus Dackers has completed a permanent move to Korean K League 2 side Daegu FC for an undisclosed fee.

The 23-year-old spent just nine months at Rugby Park, scoring four goals in 30 appearances this season, including 12 league starts.

Since Neil McCann's arrival as manager in January, Dackers has started just one of Killie's eight Premiership games.

Sandy Armour
Fan writer

When the beaks at Hampden are agreeing their TV deals I suspect the fans are bottom of the list of considerations.

We've just had a Scottish Cup weekend with matches being played on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights.

In some cases travelling fans would not make it home via public transport and that will be the case for Hearts supporters this Saturday as they head to Killie for a late kick-off.

It's incredible that fans still faithfully turn out in good numbers when you consider how they are treated by the authorities allied to the total shambles that is VAR.

We'll put all that to one side for now to focus on another massive game as we host the league leaders at the Theatre of Pies.

Killie fans were generally positive until the Falkirk game but that 5-1 defeat has destroyed a lot of the confidence that had built.

Hopefully that game was just a one-off and we can maintain our home form, which has been good. I'll predict a surprising single-goal victory for Killie.

Sandy Armour is editor of The Killie Hippo fanzine

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Kilmarnock have conceded the most penalties in the Scottish Premiership this season.

The Rugby Park side have faced an eye-watering total of 10 spot-kicks - three more than any other team - in 29 games. Of those 10, seven were scored and three missed.

At the other end, Killie have been awarded just one penalty (the joint fewest in the top flight along with Falkirk).

It came in the 1-1 home draw with Dundee United in October. Bruce Anderson's effort was saved by Yevhen Kucherenko, but the striker tucked away the rebound to open the scoring.

With Kilmarnock midfielder David Watson keen on moving to a club playing Champions League football, who qualifies between Celtic, Rangers and interested English clubs could determine where the 21-year-old heads this summer when his contract expires. (Football Insider), external

Read Friday's Scottish Gossip in full.

Sandy Armour
Fan writer

There may have been some small signs of optimism in recent weeks but our battering at Falkirk wiped out most of the positive vibes.

The main reason we are in 11th place is down to losing extremely soft goals all season and Saturday was another glaring example of our inability to defend.

We have said it before but it's worth repeating - the main priority in the window should have been a dominant and experienced centre-half.

There is a clear case for making four or five changes for the Hearts game so let's see how manager Neil McCann reacts to that humbling defeat.

McCann has been too loyal to several players so the time is right to freshen up both defence and midfield.

Three of our four remaining pre-split games are at home and they will go a long way to deciding our final league position.

Special mention again to the long-suffering fans who turned up in large numbers only for the team to ruin their weekend.

Sandy Armour is editor of The Killie Hippo fanzine

Watch Sportscene pundit Richard Foster discuss Kilmarnock's poor performance in their heavy 5-1 defeat at Falkirk.

Kilmarnock striker Marcus Dackers is set to seal a six-figure transfer to South Korea, with the 23-year-old having been given limited game time recently. (Killie Chronicle), external

Read Monday's Scottish Gossip in full.

Watch all the action as Falkirk enjoy a comfortable Scottish Premiership win over Kilmarnock.

We asked for your views on Kilmarnock's 5-1 loss against Falkirk.

Here's what some of you said:

David: Disgraceful performance from the first minute. Each player needs to take a long hard look at themselves and ask - am I giving enough? For the 870 Killie fans that travelled, they should be reimbursed the ticket cost by the players - just not good enough!

Iain: What is there to say? Complete abdication of responsibility by the defence. Inept, incompetent - these are just words but there is nothing really anyone can say about this performance. I feel sorry for Kilmarnock's manager Neil McCann.

He gets the stick when everyone knows this is down to the players! They should go home, look in the mirror and ask themselves did I earn my pay cheque today? If honesty prevails they will answer that with a very humble, no!

James: Back to earth with a bump! Back to the same problems we have had all season. Dodgy goalkeeper, extremely poor defence and forwards that can't score. Only Greg Kiltie got pass marks, the rest were very poor. We need at least two central defenders.

Gary: Utterly disgraceful showing and they should be ashamed to take a wage from that performance. Shambolic, heartless and clueless. Play-offs at best.

Thomas: You could have driven a bus through the Killie defence. Woeful, clueless, ball-watching and incompetent. Need I say more?

David: We were well beaten by a better side. We just didn't turn up and paid the price. It was like being back in the Stuart Kettlewell era again!

Adam: Completely out played from early on. No midfield at all. Why not change things early, because even after three minutes it was obvious we were not at the game!

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Kilmarnock manager Neil McCann: "It doesnt help when you lose a goal in the first minute. We were beaten by the better team today, without question.

"I've got no gripes. Falkirk wanted it more, they were aggressive, up for it and it could have been more.

"We just come up well short. We faced a side that wanted it more, that won't be accepted. It's a sobering day for us and a reality check.

"We've had plenty of plaudits with how we were playing. But football is a hard game and if you don't turn up and play at your best that's what happens to you."

Scintillating Falkirk all-but secured a top-six berth in the Scottish Premiership by thrashing woeful Kilmarnock, who remain firmly in relegation danger.

How concerning was that defensive display from Killie?

Have your say.

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Falkirk defenders Liam Henderson and Lewis Neilson return but Louie Marsh faces up to eight weeks out with a thigh injury and Kyrell Wilson misses out with an ankle problem.

Ben Parkinson (ankle) remains sidelined, while Ross MacIver and Gary Oliver are still working their way back.

Kilmarnock striker Tyreece John-Jules is out for the rest of the season with a quad injury, while Jack Thomson is suspended.

Kyle Magennis is back training after recovering from a knee problem but is not ready to play. Djenairo Daniels (knee), Matty Kennedy (hip) and Lewis Mayo (hamstring) remain out.

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Ethan Schilte-Brown says it would be "quite a jump" if he was to go from lower-league loan deals to the World Cup with Canada, but insists it is still his "dream".

The defender has featured for Canada's Under-20s and is hopeful he can earn a call-up for this summer's finals.

Schilte-Brown, 20, joined Killie's academy from the youth system of MLS side Orlando City in 2023 and had temporary spells with Canada's Halifax Wanderers, Cumnock, Albion Rovers and Dumbarton before impressing at Rugby Park this season.

Co-hosts Canada will face Iceland and Tunisia in a pair of international friendlies in late March as part of their World Cup preparations.

Prior to the Premiership game at Falkirk on Saturday, Schilte-Brown said: "My main focus is here and just trying to perform well for Killie, but if that's a by-product of what happens here then brilliant.

"That's the dream and it's never far from my thoughts but obviously my full focus is here right now.

"I think the gaffer spoke to them [Canada management team] but again I'm just focused here and I'm not going to read into anything until it's real or until it happens.

"That would be quite a jump [from loan deals]. I try and grow from every situation I am in. I learned a lot from Cumnock, Rovers and Dumbarton. It was really beneficial.

"As a young player, you need to play games. It doesn't do you any good just training all the time and no matter what level it is, there's a massive difference between playing with men and playing youth football, especially the physical side of it.

"You need to learn that if you're going to grow in the game and continue on.

"Playing first-team football is what everyone wants. That's where it's going to prepare you the most so I think it's prepared me.

"If I get called up, it's obviously an honour to get my first call-up, but I think with the World Cup in mind, you want to push on and prove to that manager that you're ready for that next step."

Killie are eight points ahead of bottom side Livingston and two behind St Mirren having played a game more than the Paisley side, but Schilte-Brown remains confident of retaining top-flight status.

He said: "I think there's every chance for us to get the safety. I think we will do it.

"The games that we have coming up are massive for us, especially the game this weekend with a sold-out away end, so just looking forward to it."