KILMARNOCK boss Jim Jefferies accused his players of committing football "suicide" after they capitulated to an embarrassing defeat against Gretna.
The Rugby Park side would have gone 15 points clear of the league minnows with victory at Fir Park – instead Gretna's 4-2 victory at Fir Park has blown open the battle to avoid relegation.
Goals from Nicky Deverdics, Rhys Meynell and Craig Barr t
owards the end of the first half left Kilmarnock with a mountain to climb.
Jefferies had a "few choice words" with his players at half-time, but Mickael Buscher put the Borderers 4-0 up before the Ayrshire visitors grabbed consolations through Simon Ford and Willie Gibson.
"I thought we played well in the opening stages and believed it was only a matter of time until we scored," Jefferies said.
"However, after the first goal we had a crazy 18 minutes that left it very difficult to come back from. We committed suicide. If you're 3-0 down at any level at half-time you have got your work cut out. At half-time I sent them out early after a few choice words.
"Gretna did everything right and played well but we lost the plot and never really recovered. You could say we won the second half 2-1 but that counts for nothing."
Gretna closed to nine points behind Kilmarnock, and their caretaker boss Mick Wadsworth believes the fixture list offers hope to his side.
"It's a nice feeling to get a win," said Wadsworth, who took charge of Gretna for the first time on Sunday, when they lost by the same 4-2 scoreline against Rangers at Ibrox.
"It's not too late to stay up. We can fight to stay in the SPL. I'm pleased the squad have pulled together and, of course, we still have a chance. We have three games against St Mirren, we have to play Killie again – so you never know."
The full article contains 330 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
