Killie players 'needed a telling off', says Deas

Robbie Deas says Kilmarnock players "needed a telling off" to help turn around their form this season. Killie travel to face Hibs on Saturday with the chance to exit the relegation play-off spot following their back-to-back wins over Livingston and table-toppers Hearts before the international break. Defender Deas attributes Neil McCann's appointment as a key reason for the club's recent upturn.

"We needed a telling off as well. It's not been good enough," he said. "I was lucky enough to work with the gaffer and both Doddsy [Billy Dodds, assistant] before in the past.

They know what I was like as a player and they spoke to me in detail. "He's restored a lot of belief in the boys. A lot of confidence was lost, especially in that run that we went on.

"I think you can feel that around the place on a Saturday when the game is finished, against Hearts and against Livingston. There's a lot of big lift about the place and that's down to the players, down to the staff and the coaching team. " Killie are 11th - level on points with St Mirren and three behind Aberdeen, with the pair facing off against each other this weekend.