Derek McInnes admits he was frustrated not to hand Kyle Vassell his Kilmarnock debut but reckons he will fit right in at Rugby Park.
The 29-year-old has joined the club from San Diego Loyal in the United States on a deal until the end of the season – and there were plans to involve him in Monday's Premiership clash with St Mirren.
However, those hopes were dashed as the paperwork didn't come through in time which meant Vassell cooled his heels in the stands alongside more than 7,000 punters as the teams shared a goalless draw.
All being well, the former Blackpool and Rotherham United striker will be unleashed on Saturday in Glasgow's east end as Killie tackle reigning champions Celtic.
Boss McInnes explained: “We were disappointed we never managed to get Kyle’s international clearance.
“We put it in right after midnight on the first hoping that the registration would be with the SFA then or on the Monday morning.
“We’ve tried to address having more of an attacking threat and I think if we had him available, coming on and giving them something else to think about, he would have lifted the crowd.
“We feel we did a lot of good work in December to get him ready for this game but never got the clearance. So, that’s a bit frustrating.”
McInnes believes Vassell's arrival is a huge boost to Killie's attacking corps as his side bid to pull away from the top-flight relegation zone in the second half of the season.
With Northern Irish international Kyle Lafferty due to return from a 10-game suspension, there are options for the gaffer who is encouraged by a three-game unbeaten run in the league.
McInnes said of Vassell: “He’s a striker who can play with any of our strikers. He’s a good size but he is a good mover and can run in behind. He takes shots off both feet.
“He isn’t a natural goalscorer but his desire, strength and intelligence gets him into good positions. We feel this type of striker will complement the strikers we’ve got here.”
Meanwhile, frustration was the overriding emotion on Monday as Killie failed to take advantage of the Buddies being reduced to 10 men after Ethan Erhahon was sent-off for elbowing Rory McKenzie in the seventh minute.
McInnes reflected: “We lacked a bit of quality. We didn’t lack effort or a willingness to try and do the right thing. Ultimately, we needed more concerted pressure and had to work the goalkeeper more.
“St Mirren were very comfortable within their shape because that’s how they play. We’ve all seen games like that and sometimes you need the team to come out a wee bit to exploit that space.
“I thought St Mirren did their job well and we needed to do ours better. Ultimately, it was a real opportunity before the game and an even better opportunity with the sending-off. We’ve not managed to take it.
“As a staff, and as a manager, we tried to give our team the best chance to win.
“Unfortunately, between myself and the players, we haven’t managed to unlock the door. It’s a better point for St Mirren, with 10 men, but we will take the point and the clean sheet. We will try and improve on that next time if we’re in a similar situation.”
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