Kilmarnock boss Lee Clark demanding better from side following Betred Cup exit
Lee Clark told his Kilmarnock side to grow up after they exited the Betfred Cup with a lame goalless draw against Albion Rovers at Rugby Park.
Seven of Clark's young summer signings featured along with 18-year-old substitute Greg Taylor but after being matched by the League One outfit, the Coatbridge side picked up the extra point with a penalty shoot-out win.
Killie finished second place behind Morton in Group H with seven points which is not enough to be included in the four best-placed runners-up who go into Sunday's last-16 draw.
Turning to the Ladbrokes Premiership campaign which begins next week with a home match against Motherwell, Clark said: ''We have to be ready. Let's not be little babies about it. They've got to come out and show more than has been shown so far. We need to be courageous and I've got to pick a team and make the substitutions which will help us make a positive start to the league campaign.''
Substitute Ross Stewart, skipper Michael Dunlop, Paul Willis, Kyle Turnbull and Scott McBride scored for Rovers in the penalty shoot-out after the game had finished goalless.
Killie captain Steven Smith, Gary Dicker and Flo Bojaj notched but Josh Magennis had his penalty saved by visiting keeper, also called Ross Stewart.
Rovers player-manager Darren Young claimed his side should have been awarded a goal in the first half which might have prevented penalties.
The visitors indeed seemed to be hard done by in the 24th minute when Killie keeper Oliver Davies and defender Will Boyle collided into each other, allowing Ryan Wallace to slip the ball into the empty net, but referee Bobby Madden blew for a foul.
Young said: ''The guy has run into the keeper. He actually did it five minutes earlier, the exact same thing and the referee never gave it. Did he not give it because it wasn't a goal? Obviously the ball falls to our guy and he scores and then he gives it. But I thought we should have had a penalty as well. Young Calum Ferguson was getting pulled back in the box when he was on the half turn, I think it was by Steven Smith. But to be fair they bounced back well. It was a great performance and to top it off we won on penalties - brilliant.''