Kilmarnock 'will gain a lot' from Glentoran friendly defeat

Derek McInnes says his Kilmarnock players will "have gained a lot" from their friendly encounter with Glentoran, despite suffering defeat in their first pre-season match.

The Ayrshire side were on the end of a 1-0 loss, but McInnes believes the test "served its purpose" in Belfast.

"Obviously, nobody wants to lose games," the Rugby Park boss said. "But I thought we were a bit unlucky with the goal and defended well throughout.

"We had good opportunities and just lacked that sharpness that you maybe expect at this stage of the season. We had five of our new signings playing and it’s all about integration and understanding.

“Ideally, you want to try and win these games but it’s not the most important thing. Saturday [against Linfield] gives us another opportunity to go and build up that fitness and understanding."