Kilmarnock scored with ten minutes remaining to defeat fellow strugglers Inverness 1-0 and keep their place in the elite of Scottish football. Killie were outplayed for long periods before grabbing a vital breakaway goal through Kevin Kyle.

Not that the manner of victory concerned Kilmarnock boss Jim Jefferies.

"It wasn't a great game but it was a great result for us. This was always going to be a tough match."

The long-serving Killie managed underlined it had been a tough season for so many clubs in the SPL, saying: "It's not often that five teams are involved in a relegation battle at this stage in the season.

"There has been no bad team in the league."

Jefferies heaped praise on the goalscorer.

He said: "He has come good at the right time. And I think he can be even better next season.

"He has not trained since Wednesday and he took an injection today. I said to the physio before the game, that he was like Charlton Heston in El Cid."

Jeffries added: "Hamilton is the only team that can catch us, but the goal difference is massive so it looks like we have secured eighth place - which brings some extra cash to the club.

"I heard lots of people suggesting we were going to go down, but we came good at the right time and proved them wrong."

Inverness boss Terry Butcher was in no mood to feel sorry for his team,

He said: "We would have taken this situation in January so we just have to get on with it.

"There is no point in thinking 'it could have been this or it could have been that' we know what we have to do next week."

Inverness now find themselves second bottom of the SPL with one game to go and all they have to do is avoid defeat against Falkirk to beat the drop.

Butcher went on: "They have beaten us twice recently but having said that my players have shown magnificent character this week and now we just have to get on with it. We have to look forward.

"The fixture list has been unkind to us this week but we are looking forward to the last game, but the boys are hurting today."