Watson: We will kick on and climb table

David Watson is confident Kilmarnock will kick on and start climbing the league table as soon as they bag their first win.

The first three points of the season looked set to be in the bag against Dundee United on Saturday, but two late goals – including a 99^th minute penalty – saw the Arabs fight back for a draw from 3-1 down.

Watson has no doubts though that the belief and unity in the dressing room will set the Rugby Park side on the right path soon.

He said: “We’ve not won yet this season so we need to try and stop that run and get a win next week.

“Hopefully once we get that first win we will kick on, I think we will, our performances haven’t been bad – we’ve played really well in a lot of games.

“Going forward, when we do get that win you will then start to see a team that’s more like last season’s.

“There has been flashes of it, so we have the confidence that once we click we will be okay, there is belief in the group and a real sense of unity – we believe we can climb the table.”

Watson scored a brace for the first time in his professional career against United at the weekend – including a fantastic overhead kick for the first.

David Watson's overhead kick 🤩 pic.twitter.com/slmeaqJQJd

— Kilmarnock FC (@KilmarnockFC) September 28, 2024

He said: “My goal was just sort of off the cuff, it’s fell perfectly for me, I swung at it and it thankfully went in.

“It’s not something I can practice to be honest, it’s just one of those ones you do it in a game and hope it comes off, I’ve never scored one like that before – to be fair I don’t think I have ever even tried it!

“The second one is just as important, they are the ones you do practice as a midfielder.

“I timed my run perfectly, managed to get on the end of the cross and fire it past the goalkeeper.

“It’s the first time I’ve scored two goals in a game so I am delighted with that.”

Watson added: “The late goal takes a shine off the performance in the second half.

“The goals we lose aren’t good enough, if we want to do well this season we will need to cut that out as soon as possible.

“We came out in the second half with a flying start, for half an hour or so we were very good and we were comfortable in the game, but for the last 15 minutes we took the foot off the gas and let them back in, we got what we deserved ultimately.”