KILMARNOCK manager Jim Jefferies is hoping his side get back to playing to instructions for the rearranged Scottish Cup fourth-round tie against Airdrie United at the Excelsior Stadium tonight.
The Ayrshire side go into the match, which has been postponed twice because of the weather, still smarting from Saturday's 2-1 home defeat to Dundee United which kept them second-bottom of the SPL table.
Jefferies watched in despair as his side
turned in an inept performance save from the last ten minutes following Gary Wales' strike, which threatened to bring Killie back in to the game after the visitors had gone ahead through goals by Barry Robson and Craig Conway. The former Hearts boss was almost at a loss to explain some of his players' decision- making but knows it must improve if they are to negotiate their way past Airdrie and set up a fifth-round tie at home to Celtic.
He said: "We are a goal behind, they are under pressure, we get a free-kick, we pile everybody in to their box and then we take it short. Then our players pass it short and we lose possession and then they break away. These things are not what the players are told to do, they just go in to a different mindset.
Killie look like they will miss the services of midfielder Mehdi Taouil, who pulled a hamstring in the warm-up on Saturday.
Kenny Black's Airdrie defeated Alloa 2-1 in the Second Division at the weekend and groundstaff are working around the clock to ensure the pitch is playable.
The full article contains 276 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
