# 2015–16 Kilmarnock F.C. season

The 2015–16 season was Kilmarnock's third season in the Scottish Premiership and their 23rd consecutive appearance in the top flight of Scottish football. Kilmarnock also competed in the League Cup and the Scottish Cup.

## Overview

Kilmarnock finished eleventh in the Scottish Premiership with 36 points. They reached the third round of the League Cup, losing to Hearts, and also reached the fifth round of the Scottish Cup, losing to Rangers. Kilmarnock rounded off the season with a 4–1 aggregate victory over Falkirk in the Premiership play-off final to secure top flight status for the 2016–17 season.

## Match results
### Pre-season

| Date | Opponents | H / A | Result F–A | Scorers |
| 21 July 2015 | Barnsley | H | 0–1 | |
| 25 July 2015 | Fleetwood Town | H | 3–1 | Boyd 3', 70', Johnston 85' |

### Scottish Premiership

| Date | Opponents | H / A | Result F–A | Scorers | Attendance | League position |
| 1 August 2015 | Dundee | H | 0–4 | | 5,207 | 12th |
| 9 August 2015 | Aberdeen | A | 0–2 | | 11,305 | 12th |
| 12 August 2015 | Celtic | H | 2–2 | Magennis 44', Higginbotham 88' (pen.) | 6,090 | 12th |
| 15 August 2015 | Partick Thistle | A | 2–2 | McKenzie 38', Boyd 85' | 3,600 | 12th |
| 22 August 2015 | Ross County | H | 0–4 | | 3,604 | 12th |
| 29 August 2015 | Motherwell | A | 0–1 | | 4,136 | 12th |
| 12 September 2015 | Dundee United | A | 2–1 | Higginbotham 44' (pen.), McHattie 88' | 8,264 | 10th |
| 19 September 2015 | St Johnstone | H | 2–1 | Magennis 40', Easton 60' (o.g.) | 3,165 | 8th |
| 26 September 2015 | Hamilton Academical | H | 1–2 | Kiltie 34' | 3,308 | 10th |
| 3 October 2015 | Heart of Midlothian | A | 1–1 | Balatoni 79' | 16,461 | 10th |
| 17 October 2015 | Inverness Caledonian Thistle | H | 2–0 | Kiltie 45', Magennis 66' | 3,234 | 9th |
| 24 October 2015 | Dundee | A | 2–1 | Magennis 9', Smith 48' | 4,970 | 8th |
| 31 October 2015 | Motherwell | H | 0–1 | | 3,931 | 8th |
| 7 November 2015 | St Johnstone | A | 1–2 | Smith 2' | 3,475 | 9th |
| 21 November 2015 | Celtic | A | 0–0 | | 42,770 | 9th |
| 28 November 2015 | Partick Thistle | H | 2–5 | Magennis 23', Connolly 72' | 3,860 | 10th |
| 5 December 2015 | Dundee United | H | 1–1 | Boyd 4' | 2,828 | 10th |
| 12 December 2015 | Inverness Caledonian Thistle | A | 1–2 | Connolly 87' | 2,775 | 11th |
| 19 December 2015 | Aberdeen | H | 0–4 | | 3,928 | 11th |
| 26 December 2015 | Hamilton Academical | A | 0–1 | Obadeyi 69' | 2,006 | 11th |
| 29 December 2015 | Ross County | A | 2–3 | Obadeyi 33', Magennis 48' | 3,518 | 11th |
| 2 January 2016 | Heart of Midlothian | H | 2–2 | Balatoni 43', Magennis 80' | 5,388 | 11th |
| 16 January 2016 | Inverness Caledonian Thistle | H | 2–1 | Kiltie 9', Slater 51' | 2,937 | 11th |
| 23 January 2016 | Dundee United | A | 1–5 | Magennis 82' | 7,729 | 11th |
| 30 January 2016 | Hamilton Academical | H | 0–1 | | 3,076 | 11th |
| 13 February 2016 | Motherwell | A | 2–0 | Kiltie 56', Slater 61' | 3,764 | 10th |
| 20 February 2016 | Dundee | H | 0–0 | | 3,688 | 11th |
| 27 February 2016 | Heart of Midlothian | A | 0–1 | | 16,354 | 11th |
| 1 March 2016 | Ross County | H | 0–2 | | 2,633 | 11th |
| 12 March 2016 | Aberdeen | A | 1–2 | Magennis 47' | 13,725 | 11th |
| 19 March 2016 | Celtic | H | 0–1 | | 6,867 | 11th |
| 2 April 2016 | Partick Thistle | A | 0–0 | | 4,359 | 11th |
| 9 April 2016 | St Johnstone | H | 3–0 | Boyd 25', 88' (pen.), Higginbotham 65' | 3,963 | 11th |
| 24 April 2016 | Inverness Caledonian Thistle | A | 1–3 | Higginbotham 44' | 2,228 | 11th |
| 30 April 2016 | Hamilton Academical | A | 4–0 | Kiltie 11', 32', Boyd 58' (pen.), Magennis 77' | 3,595 | 11th |
| 7 May 2016 | Partick Thistle | H | 0–2 | | 5,729 | 11th |
| 11 May 2016 | Dundee | A | 1–1 | Balatoni 55' | 4,335 | 11th |
| 14 May 2016 | Dundee United | H | 2–4 | Higginbotham 27', Obadeyi 34' | 2,702 | 11th |

#### Premiership play-off final

| Date | Round | Opponents | H / A | Result F–A | Scorers | Attendance |
| 19 May 2016 | First leg | Falkirk | A | 0–1 | | 7,636 |
| 22 May 2016 | Second leg | Falkirk | H | 4–0 (4–1 agg.) | Kiltie 3', 62', Addison 8', Boyd 65' | 11,013 |

### Scottish Cup

| Date | Round | Opponents | H / A | Result F–A | Scorers | Attendance |
| 9 January 2016 | Fourth round | St Johnstone | A | 1–0 | Slater 6' | 3,147 |
| 6 February 2016 | Fifth round | Rangers | A | 0–0 | | 33,581 |
| 16 February 2016 | Fifth round reply | Rangers | H | 1–2 | McKenzie 7' | 13,179 |

### Scottish League Cup

| Date | Round | Opponents | H / A | Result F–A | Scorers | Attendance |
| 25 August 2015 | Second round | Berwick Rangers | H | 4–1 | Boyd 16' (pen.), McKenzie 70', Slater 77', Higginbotham 90' | 1,484 |
| 23 September 2015 | Third round | Heart of Midlothian | H | 2–3 | Magennis 13', 80' | 3,249 |

## Squad statistics

During the 2015–16 season, Kilmarnock used 31 different players in competitive games. The table below shows the number of appearances and goals scored by each player.
| No. | Pos. | Name | League | League | Scottish Cup | Scottish Cup | League Cup | League Cup | Total | Total | Discipline | Discipline |
| No. | Pos. | Name | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | | |
| 1 | GK | Mark Ridgers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | DF | Ross Barbour | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | DF | Steven Smith | 22 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 27 | 2 | 9 | 0 |
| 4 | MF | Jamie Hamill | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 18 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| 4 | DF | Miles Addison | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 5 | DF | Stuart Findlay | 22 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 27 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 6 | DF | Mark Connolly | 10 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 2 | 4 | 0 |
| 7 | MF | Rory McKenzie | 30 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 34 | 3 | 5 | 0 |
| 8 | MF | Scott Robinson | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 8 | MF | Alex Henshall | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 9 | FW | Kris Boyd | 31 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 33 | 7 | 2 | 0 |
| 10 | FW | Chris Johnston | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 11 | MF | Kallum Higginbotham | 27 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 31 | 6 | 5 | 1 |
| 12 | DF | Daryl Westlake | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 13 | GK | Conor Brennan | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 14 | DF | Mark O'Hara | 31 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 34 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| 15 | MF | Lee McCulloch | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 16 | MF | Tope Obadeyi | 32 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 36 | 2 | 3 | 0 |
| 17 | MF | Aaron Splaine | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 18 | DF | Lee Ashcroft | 17 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 21 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| 19 | MF | Craig Slater | 28 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 33 | 3 | 5 | 0 |
| 20 | FW | Dale Carrick | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 21 | GK | Jamie MacDonald | 39 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 43 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 22 | DF | Kevin McHattie | 20 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 21 | 1 | 6 | 0 |
| 23 | FW | Greg Kiltie | 37 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 42 | 8 | 5 | 0 |
| 24 | DF | David Syme | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 26 | DF | Conrad Balatoni | 30 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 34 | 3 | 5 | 0 |
| 27 | DF | Lee Hodson | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 17 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 28 | FW | Josh Magennis | 35 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 39 | 12 | 11 | 0 |
| 29 | MF | Gary Dicker | 14 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 32 | DF | Greg Taylor | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 33 | DF | Dean Hawkshaw | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 36 | MF | Julien Faubert | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 37 | FW | Scott McLean | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 39 | MF | Adam Frizzell | 10 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 42 | MF | Lewis Clark | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Source: Note 1: League appearances and goals include play-off matches against Falkirk. Note 2: Appearance statistics from Soccerbase.com don't include the match on 19 May against Falkirk.

## Club statistics
### League table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 8 | Dundee | 38 | 11 | 15 | 12 | 53 | 57 | −4 | 48 | |
| 9 | Partick Thistle | 38 | 12 | 10 | 16 | 41 | 50 | −9 | 46 | |
| 10 | Hamilton Academical | 38 | 11 | 10 | 17 | 42 | 63 | −21 | 43 | |
| 11 | Kilmarnock (O) | 38 | 9 | 9 | 20 | 41 | 64 | −23 | 36 | Qualification for the Premiership play-off final |
| 12 | Dundee United (R) | 38 | 8 | 7 | 23 | 45 | 70 | −25 | 28 | Relegation to the Scottish Championship |
* ↑ Teams play each other three times (33 matches), before the league is split into two groups (the top six and the bottom six).
* ↑ Dundee United were deducted three points for fielding an ineligible player in their win over Inverness Caledonian Thistle on 6 May 2016.

### Competition Overview

| Competition | First match | Last match | Starting round | Final position | Record | Record | Record | Record | Record | Record | Record | Record |
| Competition | First match | Last match | Starting round | Final position | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Win % |
| Premiership | 1 August 2015 | 22 May 2016 | Matchday 1 | Play-off final | 40 | 10 | 9 | 21 | 45 | 65 | −20 | 025.00 |
| Scottish Cup | 9 January 2016 | 16 February 2016 | Fourth round | Fifth round | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | +0 | 033.33 |
| League Cup | 25 August 2016 | 23 September 2016 | Second round | Third round | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 4 | +2 | 050.00 |
| Total | Total | Total | Total | Total | 45 | 12 | 10 | 23 | 53 | 71 | −18 | 026.67 |
Source: Competitions

## Player transfers
### Transfers in

| Date | Position | Name | Previous Club | Fee |
| 3 June 2015 | MF | Scott Robinson | Heart of Midlothian | Free |
| 22 June 2015 | GK | Jamie MacDonald | Falkirk | Free |
| 25 June 2015 | MF | Kallum Higginbotham | Partick Thistle | Free |
| 29 June 2015 | FW | Kris Boyd | Rangers | Free |
| 2 July 2015 | DF | Steven Smith | Rangers | Free |
| 9 July 2015 | DF | Stuart Findlay | Celtic | Loan |
| 9 July 2015 | FW | Dale Carrick | Heart of Midlothian | Free |
| 11 July 2015 | DF | Lee McCulloch | Rangers | Free |
| 11 August 2015 | GK | Oliver Davies | Swansea City | Loan |
| 1 September 2015 | DF | Kevin McHattie | Heart of Midlothian | Free |
| 12 September 2015 | DF | Conrad Balatoni | Partick Thistle | Free |
| 22 September 2015 | GK | Mark Ridgers | St Mirren | Loan |
| 1 February 2016 | DF | Lee Hodson | MK Dons | Loan |
| 1 February 2016 | MF | Gary Dicker | Carlisle United | Free |
| 26 February 2016 | MF | Julien Faubert | Bordeaux | Free |
| 31 March 2016 | DF | Miles Addison | Peterborough United | Free |
| 31 March 2016 | MF | Alex Henshall | Ipswich Town | Free |

### Transfers out

| Date | Position | Name | Subsequent Club | Fee |
| 26 May 2015 | MF | Sammy Clingan | Linfield | Free |
| 26 May 2015 | FW | Lee Miller | Falkirk | Free |
| 26 May 2015 | MF | Paul Cairney | Stranraer | Free |
| 26 May 2015 | FW | Nathan Eccleston | Békéscsaba 1912 Előre | Free |
| 26 May 2015 | DF | Chris Chantler | Macclesfield Town | Free |
| 1 July 2015 | FW | Michael Ngoo | | Free |
| 3 July 2015 | DF | Manuel Pascali | Cittadella | Free |
| 6 July 2015 | GK | Conor Brennan | Stranraer | Loan |
| 22 July 2015 | MF | Euan Smith | Brechin City | Free |
| 1 August 2015 | MF | Alexei Eremenko | FF Jaro | Free |
| 1 August 2015 | MF | Mark Thomson | | Free |
| 1 August 2015 | FW | Dylan Pooler | Auchinleck Talbot | Free |
| 6 August 2015 | GK | Craig Samson | Motherwell | Free |
| 24 March 2016 | MF | Scott Robinson | | Free |
| 25 March 2016 | DF | Ross Barbour | Kirkintilloch Rob Roy | Free |
| 8 April 2016 | DF | Daryl Westlake | | Free |
| 12 April 2016 | MF | Jamie Hamill | Queen of the South | Free |