Derek McInnes calls for calm defending after Killie lose points in dramatic draw

Posted Sunday, September 29, 2024 by PA

Kilmarnock manager Derek McInnes bemoaned his side’s defending as a first league win slipped through their fingers after Dundee United came from two goals down to snatch a 3-3 draw at Rugby Park.

Dundee United dominated a poor quality first half and led through Louis Moult but substitute David Watson appeared to have turned the game on its head as he levelled the scores with a remarkable scissor kick before steering home a Matty Kennedy strike to put Killie in front.

Marley Watkins bundled in a third but Craig Sibbald’s long-range strike – awarded after a VAR review – made it 3-2 with 10 minutes to play and United snatched a point deep into stoppage time as Ross Graham coolly dispatched a penalty after Fraser Murray was deemed to have fouled Luca Stevenson.

McInnes admitted an overeagerness from his side and called for calmness as Kilmarnock look to climb up from their lowly 11th-placed position in the league.

He said: “In the second half we came out, and we looked like a really confident team, we had a bit of swagger about us for 35 minutes there.

“We’ve then just lost a long-range shot we should be saving and an 80-yard punt where we should just win the first header.

“It’s just an overeagerness to get over the line and get the job done, and everyone trying to play their part. We were guilty, at times, of overexuberance and we have to use our experience and calmness more in that sort of moment.

“There were more positives from the team’s performance today than not, but it counts for nothing if you can’t defend your box as we couldn’t in the dying embers of the game.”

VAR and the officials were heavily involved in the closing stages of the game, with referee Craig Napier reversing his original decision to award a foul in the build-up to Sibbald’s strike after a VAR review. Napier then further enraged the home crowd by awarding a last-gasp penalty.

McInnes admitted he thought the penalty was slightly soft but he had no qualms over the decision to give Sibbald’s goal.

He added: “For the Sibbald goal, at the time I thought it was an honest tackle, I thought it was a hard tackle but I actually thought he got enough of the ball.

“I did think it was a soft penalty at the time, having seen it again I think Fraser Murray does get a bit of the ball but he’s maybe made contact as well.”

Dundee United boss Jim Goodwin admitted to having mixed feelings after watching his side surrender their first-half lead before grabbing a point in such dramatic fashion.

He said: “I’ve been involved in games like this as a player and a manager when I’ve seen it go 4-1 and 5-1 and that’s something the players can take credit for. It’s easy to throw the towel in but that’s not the culture in the group. We never give up.

“And we got our reward. I think before the game, a point down here is not a bad result because players don’t like the pitch and Kilmarnock are a decent team.

“We’ve shown great resilience in pretty much every league game we’ve played.

“It was important to stop the rot after two defeats but my emotions are very mixed because I’m disappointed about the goals we’ve conceded having been comfortable, but then I’m very proud of the efforts of the players to keep going and get something.”