Kilmarnock’s Season in Numbers: Defensive Challenges and Remarkable Comebacks

Kilmarnock winger Matty Kennedy has created the most chances of any player in the Premiership this season. European football appears to have come at a domestic cost for Kilmarnock this season. After twelve games, many Rugby Park regulars would likely have hoped for more than an average of a point per game. However, following a slow start in the Scottish Premiership, Derek McInnes’ team has begun to ascend the congested table, notably through their reputation as comeback kings. Of the twelve points Kilmarnock has accumulated this season, nine were secured after trailing in matches. No other team has recovered more points from a losing position. Dundee, for instance, ranks next in the comeback standings with six points. One of the most dramatic instances of these comebacks occurred at Dens Park, where Matty Kennedy scored the winning goal, transforming a 2-0 deficit into an improbable 3-2 victory. Conversely, Kilmarnock experienced a similar situation a month later in the same fixture, squandering a two-goal lead. Winger Kennedy, however, is once again having an influential season. He has generated 31 chances, a league high, and also delivered 15 successful crosses from open play, which is the best in the division. The same level of performance cannot be attributed to the defensive end, which has been the primary source of Kilmarnock’s difficulties this term. Once considered defensively robust, they are now conceding too many goals; only St Johnstone (27) has allowed more than the Rugby Park side’s 25. They have faced a considerable 182 shots, 62 of which were on target. Again, no team has faced more, a statistic that is particularly undesirable, especially since Kilmarnock is not outscoring opponents, having netted just 15 goals in their dozen outings. While these figures present a relatively challenging outlook, a positive aspect is that during their successful push to fourth place last season, Kilmarnock were only four points better off at this identical stage. By improving their defensive solidity and avoiding player dismissals – a past issue not to be revisited – the European qualification spots could once again become attainable.