Kilmarnock manager Gary Locke has ordered his players to eradicate the defensive errors that have dragged the team into Premiership relegation trouble.
The Ayrshire outfit travel to Motherwell tomorrow in what has become their biggest match of the season following six straight defeats.
A victory at Fir Park will guarantee Killie's place in the top-flight, while another defeat will lift the Steelmen, who currently occupy the relegation play-off spot, to within three points of Locke's side.
The Rugby Park team last kept a clean sheet on March 14 when they beat St Mirren 1-0 and, in the wake of last weekend's 3-2 setback at home to Hamilton, Locke is demanding that they become tougher to beat.
He said: "There was a lot of decent stuff in the Hamilton game and some poor stuff. We were obviously disappointed with the goals we've lost, we have to do better in terms of the goals we've lost.
"Again we've created chances and scored two goals at home and when you score two goals at home, it should be enough to earn at least a point. We have to brush up defensively and I mean defensively as a team, not just the back four and the goalkeeper. We have to defend from the front.
"We're not a million miles away and hopefully we can get the result we need on Friday. You're disappointed but the main thing is we are creating chances and look dangerous. That would be more of a concern for me but it's important we stop losing silly goals. A lot of the time teams seem to punish us for our mistakes."
Despite the pressure of being pulled into a basement dogfight, Locke hopes his players can produce a courageous display tomorrow evening.
He added: "It should be a game that everyone is looking forward to playing in. "It's difficult going down to Fir Park, Motherwell are down their fighting for their lives and so are we, we've been dragged into it. "It's important we go there and show the confidence that we showed in the last 25 minutes on Saturday, everybody getting on the ball.
"We've got to be brave and make things happen. It's about making sure we don't get dragged any further into it."
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