Kenny Shiels, the Kilmarnock manager, will give new signing Rory Boulding time to settle into life at Rugby Park.

The striker joined from first division side Livingston last week and played in a pre-season friendly win over Chester.

Matthew Kennedy scored as Kilmarnock won the match but Shiels will have been heartened by the display of Boulding, especially with striker Paul Heffernan struggling with a hamstring problem.

Yet the manager will not rush the Englishman as he grows more comfortable with the step up to the top flight. "Rory is very much a development player," said Shiels, who also gave game time to Manuel Pascali as the Italian continues his comeback from a broken leg. "His form will probably fluctuate as we try to get him where we want him to be.

"We won't necessarily be breaking him in gently, as it's wrong to say at this stage that he'll be starting or whatever. It's down to how quickly he understands us."