Alex Dyer insists top six would be a success as Kilmarnock move into third
Killie thrashed Hamilton 5-1 at Rugby Park
Kilmarnock assistant manager Alex Dyer believes simply finishing in the top six would represent a successful campaign, despite the Rugby Park side moving into the automatic European places with a 5-0 thrashing of Hamilton.
Goals from Greg Taylor, Conor McAleny, Youssouf Mulumbu, Chris Burke and Mikael Ndjoli helped Kilmarnock move above Aberdeen and into third place in the Ladbrokes Premiership table.
That would earn them a place in the qualifying rounds of the Europa League, but Dyer dampened rising expectation.
He said: “Our target at the start of the season was to finish in the top six. We've achieved that and now we'll see where that takes us.
“We just want to finish as high as possible and if European football comes, it comes. We just want to do our best.
“It would be a great achievement, of course, but we'll just keep looking at the next game and see where it takes us. That's the way it's got to be.”
Dyer praised his players for their performance, especially in the second half when they scored four times and threatened to add more.
He added: “That was satisfying, a great day's work.
“We had a lot of chances and maybe should've come in at half-time two or three goals up but it wasn't to be. They came in and the gaffer (Steve Clarke) had a good chat with them and we put things right in the second half.
“Every single one of the lads was excellent today and we're up to third, which is great. The result is also brilliant for our goal difference.”
Hamilton's defeat leaves them perilously close to the relegation places and manager Brian Rice did not spare his players afterwards.
He said: “That's the most embarrassed I've ever been in 40 years in football. I'm sickened by that performance.
“It was a distinct lack of desire and guts. I'm at a total loss as the same 11 boys that started against Hearts produced nothing today. We had one shot on goal and one header if we're lucky.
“We had a plan to stay in the game and with five minutes played people don't do their jobs and we're 1-0 down. We were lucky to still be in it at half-time and I said that to the players. By the end of the game we were lucky that it was only 5-0. Kilmarnock were excellent but, by god, we were bad.
“We're fighting for our livelihoods and you get that performance. That was nowhere near good enough."