Chance of snow 60%.BE
Careful travelling up and back .... Allan
Killie Team
News...
Kilmarnock top scorer Kris Boyd picked up a knee
injury in last week's 1-0 defeat by Celtic and is rated doubtful
for the trip to Edinburgh.
Manager Jim Jefferies, who has no other injury worries, will give
Boyd until the last minute to prove his fitness.
Team (from): Combe, Lilley, Ford, Fontaine, Hay, Naismith,
Johnston, Leven, Locke, McDonald, Boyd, Nish, Invincibile, Wales,
Smith, Fowler, Murray, Dodds.
Danny Invincible has been
named as a stand-by for Australia's friendly next week with
South Africa in Durban.
Jim Jefferies pre match comments...
"They do play a more attacking style of football. This
time last year, they were solid and never gave you very much, but John
is changing that a wee bit. They are better to watch now, but
time will tell if they are going to be as successful.
On Boyd's Injury...."Although it is not as bad as we
first thought, he has been with the physio for most of the week so it
will be a late decision."
Jim Jefferies Season Comments HERE
David
Lilley's pre match comments..."I
haven't had much joy in the cup myself personally. I got to the final
with Aberdeen a few years ago but was named as the 18th man. It would
be nice to get a wee run. It would be good for the club financially as
well. We would be able to extend some of the boys' contracts. I have
got 18 months to run on mine but, for a lot of the boys, theirs are up
at the end of the season. It could make them (after Hearts CIS
Semi loss) more determined to stay in this cup, but we will have to
look after ourselves and make sure we do the job right.
Killie won the cup in 1997..."There are pictures of that
all over the club, but it is a bit too early to start talking about
getting to finals."
Danny Invincibile's pre match
comments...
"The fans also seem to turn out
more and are a bit
noisier; I don't know why. The
club have expressed just how much they want to go through to the next
round and we know how much it means financially as well as what it
would mean to the supporters. We
believe that we are good enough to get a decent run and to go and
compete against Hearts tomorrow, but we know it will be far from easy.
There have been a lot of improvements about our play this season.
However, we have to maintain a strong
work ethic and keep our
concentration at the back at all times,
because that is the mistake we were making too often last season.
That was leading to us conceding
silly goals. At the beginning of this season we sat down and addressed
why we lost so
many goals. There was a phase
earlier in this campaign when we looked as though we were heading that
way again, but we have come through it and steadied the ship and if we
can get through games and play in spells the way we know we can then
we have a chance. Now we have
forward players who are always trying to create something and if we
can work on keeping it tight at the back then I think we can do
OK and have a chance, whoever we are up against."
On the remainder of the SPL Season...
"We want to get ourselves into
contention for a place in the top six, so it is a big couple of weeks
for us. We must get our heads down
and work towards keeping our concentration for the whole 90 minutes
and aim to finish as high as possible in the table.
It would nice to get a decent
cup run as well as finishing in the top six, but we know we have to
work hard if we are to achieve that. We
know a few people thought we weren't good enough this season and it's
up to us to show them what we are capable of, as we believe we are a
decent team."
On last weeks game... "Celtic
are a good, strong team and you know that if you aren't on your game
then they will punish you for it, and I still think it was a bit harsh
the way we lost the game, Celtic are
a physical side, but that's also the way we play at times, too. We
like to get it up and find our targetmen and bring it down, but it can
be tough to play that way when you are up against guys like Bobo Balde
and Stan Varga. The important thing
is to take something positive from it and bring it to our own game."
Hearts Team
News... Hearts are without four key
squad members for the Scottish Cup fourth round tie at Tynecastle.
Midfielders Phil Stamp, Michael Stewart and Patrick Kisnorbo are
all injured, as is the versatile Kevin McKenna.
Weather...
Occasional snow showers. High near *C.
Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of snow 60%.
Prediction:
Hearts 0 Killie 1
Fixtures & Results
-
League Table
-
Manager's Comments
-
Season Diary
- Squad
