Derek McInnes’s Post-Match Reaction to Kilmarnock’s 3-2 Defeat at Dundee

Kilmarnock manager Derek McInnes shared his post-match thoughts following the 3-2 defeat to Dundee, stating, “I thought we started really strongly and we were really pleased with what the lads were giving us. We take advantage of a mistake and Bruce is sharp to get his goal.” McInnes noted the team secured “a really good second goal with both wide players combining.” However, he expressed ongoing concern regarding player energy in the second half, attributing it to the match being their third away game within a week. The manager highlighted the challenge posed by Stuart Findlay’s departure from the game, describing him as “such an influential defender for us.” He emphasized the necessity of handling opposition attacks in the penalty area, particularly noting that the first goal conceded occurred immediately after Kilmarnock scored their second. McInnes lamented that instead of entering halftime with a 2-0 lead, which would have put pressure on Dundee, his team inadvertently provided their opponents with “a lifeline.” Regarding Dundee’s second goal, McInnes criticized his team’s response, stating, “We don’t react well and we’ve got too many doing nothing. You can see it clear as day and it’s unprofessional we lose that type of goal. Dundee are big enough and good enough to punish you for that.” Despite the scoreline, McInnes believed that “I don’t think any team would have shaken hands at 2-2,” acknowledging that his side displayed “some really good passages of play and individually we had some top performances today.” He concluded that Kilmarnock ultimately left with no points because “we don’t sniff it at the end there.” Specifically addressing the decisive goal, he noted, “There’s 30 seconds to go we should show inside when the ball is played forward and we don’t match Mulligan’s run.” McInnes gave credit to Dundee, stating, “Credit Dundee they get bodies in the box at the death and Larkeche’s desire to get on the end of it and score was more than our desire to stop it.” Furthermore, McInnes confirmed that Stuart Findlay’s injury is “not looking good at all,” indicating that the team anticipates a prolonged absence for the centre-back.