Kilmarnock sharpen up in attack in an effort to

MICHAEL GARDYNE was first asked about the bizarre, baffling forgery allegations aimed at his club over the past couple of days. He sighed, before grinning and shaking his head.

He has been in this game long enough to know not to bite. “We don’t have a clue what is going on,” the Kilmarnock midfielder said, with an expression that made it clear that was all he was going to say. “We can’t control that. We’re just concentrating on the game on Saturday.”

And well they might. A loss to Partick Thistle at home last weekend has banished any notion of Allan Johnston’s side getting a couple of quick wins to avoid the relegation play-off then popping open a cold one. A victory would have opened up a six-point gap on their Firhill rivals, instead it is just a thin sliver of goal difference which separates the teams.

That result led to Kilmarnock working on their shooting in training this week, with a three-game ‘goal drought’ from Kris Boyd contributing to their struggles. That doesn’t worry many at Rugby Park. All it means, probably, is that he will score today.

Gardyne raised an eyebrow when asked it the play-offs had made the league more exciting – “For the fans maybe” – but agreed that two victories in their last four games ought to be enough to secure their place in the SPFL Premiership next season.

“Aye, probably two wins would be enough,” he said. “Obviously, it’s the old cliche, one game at a time, Saturday is massive, we can’t think too much beyond that. We’ll go into the game on Saturday with confidence.”

Most disappointing last week was the fact Kilmarnock had led – briefly – in that match before going on to finish without even a point. It is the hope that hurts you. “It is frustrating when you go ahead and then you’re pegged back and you end up losing,” Gardyne said.

“Things go for you, things go against you. But we just need to