Aiming to crack the top four of the Scottish Premiership table, Kilmarnock will go in search of a third straight league victory on Saturday, when they travel to take on strugglers Livingston.
The visitors prevailed over league leaders Celtic last time out to remain within touching distance of Hearts and Hibernian, while their hosts remain rooted to the foot of the division on the back of seven straight defeats.
Match preview
© Reuters
Livingston head into the weekend in the midst of a dismal run of form and a tough start to the campaign, which looks set to threaten their six-year stay in the Scottish Premiership.
After finishing second in the relegation group last time around, David Martindale's side did manage 10 points from their first eight outings this term, winning twice and playing out four draws alongside just two defeats, but they have since failed to put another point on the board in the last seven attempts since mid-October.
Across those matches, the Lions have only conceded 11 goals but managed just one at the other end, while they now head into their 16th league outing having failed to score in the last six matches, initially heading into the November international break on the back of losses to Dundee on two occasions, Saturday's visitors, Hearts and Rangers.
Their return to action is yet to bring about a change in their fortunes either, as they firstly travelled to St Mirren and suffered a 1-0 defeat, before most recently hosting Hibernian at the weekend and again falling short by the same scoreline as Martin Boyle netted the only goal of the game around the half-hour mark.
Now boasting the Premiership's worst attacking record, having managed just nine goals in their first 15 games, Livingston already find themselves five points behind 11th place and five adrift of safety, and Martindale's men will now be desperate to end their seven-match losing run and make a return to winning ways at the weekend in their bid to keep pace with their rivals in the fight to avoid the drop to Scotland's second tier.
© Reuters
They certainly face a tough test, though, as Kilmarnock arrive at the Tony Macaroni Arena with their sights set on the top three and a third straight league win on Saturday.
After finishing 10th last season, Killie have certainly enjoyed a pleasing start to the new term, currently sitting fifth with 23 points on the board from their 17 outings, largely thanks to an impressive defensive record with only the top two and Hearts conceding fewer than the 17 goals they have shipped at this stage.
Derek McInnes's did falter around the recent international break, suffering narrow defeats to Hibernian and Hearts either side of a goalless stalemate with Ross County, but they have since bounced back in impressive fashion, firstly returning to winning ways away at Aberdeen, despite the meeting looking set to end goalless, as David Watson popped up with the winner in the 92nd minute.
An unenviable meeting with the then-unbeaten league leaders Celtic then followed on Sunday, but Killie defied the odds to hand the defending champions a first league defeat of the campaign, coming from behind with 15 minutes to go to prevail as a Nat Phillips own goal levelled the scores before Matty Kennedy scored the winner in the dying embers.
Now bound to take plenty of confidence from that result at Rugby Park, having stayed within two points of third-placed St Mirren and one of fourth-placed Hibernian, Kilmarnock will look to make it three consecutive three-point hauls when they travel to the basement side on Saturday with the chance to break into the top three if other results also go their way.
Team News
© Reuters
Livingston should come into Saturday's game with a clean bill of health, and Martindale may opt to make several changes from their latest defeat at the hands of Hibernian in a bid to change their fortunes.
Bruce Anderson, who had to settle for a substitute appearance last time out, is in line to return from the outset, having netted a team-high tally of six goals in 20 appearances across Premiership and cup action this term, while Joel Nouble was an unused substitute at the weekend and will also be keen to play a role in the attack after Scott Pittman and Andrew Shinnie were preferred either side of Kurtis Guthrie against Hibernian.
Elsewhere, Jason Holt and Stephen Kelly should again partner up in the engine room, while Michael Nottingham, Ayo Obileye and Mikey Devlin will all hope to keep their places in a back three.
Following a memorable victory over Celtic last weekend, Kilmarnock should travel to Livingston with an unchanged starting XI, and forward Kyle Magennis should again miss out through injury.
Instead, Kyle Vassell will continue to lead the line, having netted six goals so far this term, while Matty Kennedy, Liam Polworth and Daniel Armstrong should again line up in a supporting trio.
Lewis Mayo, Robbie Deas, Stuart Findlay and Corrie Ndaba are bound to line up in an unchanged back four, while Liam Donnelly and Brad Lyons should continue to partner up in the engine room.
Livingston possible starting lineup:
George; Nottingham, Obileye, Devlin; Brandon, Holt, Kelly, Penrice; Pittman, Anderson, Nouble
Kilmarnock possible starting lineup:
Dennis; Mayo, Deas, Findlay, Ndaba; Donnelly, Lyons; Armstrong, Polworth, Kennedy; Vassell
We say: Livingston 0-2 Kilmarnock
With confidence from an eye-catching win last weekend, and travelling to a Livingston side devoid of any confidence in the midst of a rut, we can only envisage Kilmarnock making it back-to-back three-point hauls on Saturday with their sights set on breaking into the top three.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Top tip
Sam Varley
