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ANGELO ALESSIO is looking to Simeon Jackson to help solve Kilmarnock’s goalscoring problems after snapping him up on a short-term deal. The ex-St Mirren striker has penned a deal to keep him at Rugby Park until January after Osman Sow was ruled out for at least a month with an ankle injury. Alessio has tightened up Killie with only champions Celtic managing to score against them in the last eight games, a mightily impressive record. But only second-bottom St Mirren have scored fewer goals in the Premiership while right-back Stephen O’Donnell is their top scorer with just two strikes. Alessio hopes Canada international Jackson can contribute with Livingston turning up at Rugby Park tomorrow before the 32year-old’s old club travel to Ayrshire next week. Jackson has been without a club since leaving Paisley at the end of last season but Alessio insists he is fit enough to take his place on the bench tomorrow. The Italian said: “We didn’t have an alternative after Osman’s ankle injury so it was important to get another striker and Simeon was available. “He has Scottish Premiership sport@dailyrecord.co.uk experience so I hope he can help us. He isn’t 100 per cent yet but he is fit enough to start on the bench and if we need him then he can play.
“I hope he scores a lot of goals here but at the moment it’s just important to have another striker. He is of similar quality and skill with Eamonn Brophy.
“I say all the time we have to improve in attack. It’s important to score goals but it’s important to have opportunities to score.
“Sometimes they score, sometimes not – this is the life of a striker. We have had a lot of opportunities to score.
“Now of course we have to change step but we are going in the right way now.
“It’s important to be more determined in front of goal and in future I hope we will see more goals. We worked them very hard in attack during the international break, we created some practice to score.
“I hope in the future we improve in front of goal but not only the strikers.
“I want goals from midfielders, wingers and defenders.
“The whole team must improve in attack but the priority is to win. We are not an Italian team where the priority is to defend but it’s important to be organised.”
Killie have taken five points from a possible nine on home turf since losing to Rangers on the opening weekend thanks to a stoppage-time finish.
Alessio said: “We have two home games in a row and we must respect the opposition. Livingston will be a tough test but I believe we can win.
“We won against Hearts but at the same time Livingston won against Celtic.
“Both teams are very confident at this time and it will be a good game on Saturday.
“If you look at Livingston’s position they are above us. For this reason it will be a tough game. In this league every match is tough.
“But it is a good test to see our progress and our ability. We respect them but at the same time we have the quality to win this game.
“They are a compact team. They exploit set-pieces and corners very well and they have good players with experience.
“They have a structure that is very good. But our team have the quality to win.”
Defender Stuart Findlay proved he knows the way to goal after scoring on his Scotland debut in Sunday’s 6-0 rout of San Marino at Hampden.
Alessio was proud of the 24year-old but insists he’s still to show the full extent of his ability.
He said: “Stuart is physical, aggressive and athletic. But he’s young and can improve in some situations. I give him some advice to improve his performance.
“As a defender you must focus in every moment of the game and he can improve his positional sense sometimes when we are in possession. But Alex Bruce and Dario del Fabro can help him.
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“It’s important for him to get the call-up. He has to learn to improve his performances in the Premiership. He’s young, he has time.
“But at the same time I expect his performances to improve in the future. We are a small club but at the same time we have this player who is young. He can improve because we play him in every game, which is tough.
“Every game is against a big club and he can improve.
“Stuart as well as Stephen O’Donnell can improve the performances of our team.”
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