Deas looking for a reaction
Robbie Deas believes Kilmarnock have a score to settle when St Johnstone return to Ayrshire on Saturday, with the defender calling for a determined response to the sides’ first meeting of the season. The Perth club began their return to the William Hill Premiership by winning a seven-goal contest at McDiarmid Park on the opening day, leaving Kilmarnock to absorb a 4-3 defeat.
The result remains a significant reference point for Deas, who was suspended and had to watch the match rather than contribute on the pitch. Kilmarnock have since endured a difficult period and moved back to the foot of the league after losing 3-1 away to Dundee on Wednesday night. Saturday’s fixture therefore offers an immediate opportunity to respond, although the emphasis from Deas is on performance as much as the league position.
“We owe them one. I think we all hurt after that opening game.”
The 26-year-old former Inverness defender said the opening fixture had been particularly painful because it was televised and because the team had been unable to recover from the disappointment. He described the squad as hurting again after the Dundee result, but argued that the short turnaround between matches could also provide a chance to correct what went wrong rather than allowing frustration to linger.
Home form offers encouragement
Kilmarnock’s most recent home league outing provides the principal source of encouragement ahead of the return meeting. They defeated Motherwell 3-2 in their last match on home ground, and Deas believes that result should reinforce the players’ confidence as they attempt to produce another positive display in front of their own support.
He said the target was straightforward: Kilmarnock must maintain their home record, take three points and begin building momentum. That task comes against a St Johnstone side who have already demonstrated their ability to punish mistakes, but Deas maintains that the squad possesses sufficient quality to change the direction of its season.
| Match context | Detail |
|---|---|
| First meeting this season | St Johnstone won 4-3 at McDiarmid Park |
| Most recent Kilmarnock home league match | 3-2 win against Motherwell |
| Latest result | 3-1 defeat away to Dundee |
| Saturday’s fixture | St Johnstone visit Kilmarnock |
Defender seeks a run of matches
For Deas personally, the meeting represents another step towards establishing continuity after a disrupted beginning to the campaign. Injury and suspension restricted his involvement, preventing him from helping Kilmarnock on the field during an important early section of the season. He returned to the side at Dundee, but the defeat meant that comeback did not bring the outcome he wanted.
His immediate priority is now to put together a sequence of appearances and help the team move upwards. Deas accepts that the Premiership presents a demanding challenge, but insists that Kilmarnock have enough within the dressing room to put a run together. The message ahead of Saturday is consequently one of belief, collective responsibility and action rather than a focus solely on the opening-day setback.
- Kilmarnock are back at the bottom of the Premiership after Wednesday’s defeat at Dundee.
- St Johnstone won the first meeting of the season 4-3.
- Deas wants the squad to build on the recent 3-2 home victory over Motherwell.
With the fixtures arriving quickly, Kilmarnock do not have long to dwell on the latest result. Saturday’s home game gives them the chance to turn Deas’s call for a response into points, while also seeking to put the opening defeat to St Johnstone in its proper place. The defender’s return and the prospect of a sustained run of games add a personal storyline, but the wider requirement is clear: Kilmarnock need a result that can begin to lift them from the bottom of the table.
