Alessio urges Killie stars to keep focus despite consigning bad start to history
Angelo Alessio warned his Killie stars to up their game – despite watching them haul back into the top six with a second win in a row.
Goals from Gary Dicker and Rory McKenzie put Killie in control but a late slip-up allowed Livingston sub Lee Miller to score and make it a nervy last six minutes for the home side.
With the nightmare start to his reign now a distant memory, the Rugby Park crowd are warming to their manager. But Alessio insists there is much more to come.
He said: “I am happy because we deserved to win the match.
“We suffered for the first 30 minutes and needed Gary’s opening goal – that was important for us.
“We were much better in the second hal f and scored another goal , although we had a worry at the end.
“The big disappointment was not that we didn’t keep another clean sheet but that we gave them such a cheap goal. If we had been more focused, we wouldn’t have conceded.
“We need to work harder in training because I believe we can play better than this.
“I am pleased with our progress but we can improve further – there were a lot of mistakes out there.
“We can do better than that. The fans are behind us again and that is important because together we are building our season.”
It was an error-strewn opening 15 minutes dominated by Livi.
Killie were lucky that Livi were unable to turn their possession into clear-cut chances.
Without a save made in 38 turgid minutes the game finally delivered the breakthrough. Chris Burke’s free-kick from the right was headed on by Mohamed El Makrini towards Dicker lurking in space.
With time to take a touch and steady himself, the Killie captain made no mistake with a deadly finish across keeper Matija Sarkic.
The home side added to their lead in 56 minutes. Stephen O’Donnell showed a burst of pace to cut inside and set up Eamonn Brophy whose quickfire turn and shot was blocked.
With the ball loose and looping in the air, McKenzie met the drop on the volley with a crisp strike that went in off Nicky Devlin.
That setback prompted Livingston boss Gary Holt to make changes. He
hooked Scott Robinson and Steven Lawless for Miller and Alan Lithgow, while Killie swapped El Makrini with Liam Millar.
Miller soon made his presence felt, first copping a booking for leading with his forearm in an aerial tussle with Dario del Fabro. Then in 70 minutes the veteran hitman played a key role as the visitors twice came close to clawing a goal back.
His unself ish knock- down fell neatly to Marvin Bartley who unleashed a powerful effort on the half-volley, well saved by Laurentiu Branescu dropping to his right.
From the following throw- in, tossed long by Lithgow, Bartley was thwarted again – this time by the bar – with a backward header.
With Alan Power and Bartley both added to ref Steven McLean’s book the second half had turned fiercely competitive.
Del Fabro could have ended it as a contest in 77 minutes.
Spinning away from Lithgow to earn time to pick his spot just inside the box, the Italian looked a cert to bury it only to fluff his effort straight at the keeper.
That miss looked a lot more costly as Livingston hauled themselves back within touching distance with six minutes left.
Devlin’s volley across goal found sub striker Miller in the danger area and he steered it home.
Millar came close at the other end with a raking shot across goal that was a foot away from securing the points.
But it didn’t matter in the end as the Ayrshiremen held on to secure their place back in the top six.
Livi gaffer Holt was raging his players had gifted goals too easily.
He said: “We prepared the players right but we gave away two soft goals. I feel for my keeper because he’s not had a save to make yet lost two goals.
“You can’t give a team a two-goal start then think, ‘We’ll have a go now’. It’s not acceptable.”