Source: Team_Talk
Killie star sets sights on top six
The Rugby Park outfit were in a top half of the SPL during the first half of the campaign but a dreadful run from the turn of the year saw them dragged into the relegation scrap.
Killie, who face Motherwell at Fir Park on Saturday, secured their place in the top flight with one game remaining following last weekend's 1-0 over Inverness.
Kevin Kyle notched the winner against Inverness and the striker's eight goals in 12 games, including seven in his last four outings, have been vital in keeping Kilmarnock in the SPL.
And fellow forward Fernandez feels Killie now have the firepower to mount a sustained challenge for the top six.
He said: "The league has been tight for most of the season. We were in the top six for a long time but then we had a bad run from January to the end of March and that took us out of the top six.
"We struggled against the teams in the bottom half earlier but we were stronger against the bigger teams.
"But now we have Kevin Kyle and he's scored against the teams in the bottom half. That's a good thing to have, a guy you know will score goals for you, because that's something we missed at
the beginning of the season.
"That's probably the difference between being in the top six and the bottom six."
With Motherwell having secured seventh place and Kilmarnock having all but sewn up eighth spot, their clash at Fir Park is the only final-weekend fixture with little riding on it.
And Fernandez admits it is a major relief being able to play without pressure now Killie are no longer worried about relegation.
He said: "The biggest difference this week has been the pressure if off us. We know we can't move further up or further down in the table.
"But it is a big relief that we are safe. It has been a very strange season because everything has been very tight.
"But we have been able to relax in the last week of the season and it has been nice to enjoy that rather than being so stressed about relegation.
"For most of the season, we were thinking it would never happen but it got very close with the league being so tight and results were going against us.
"It will be a funny game because this week has all been about St Mirren, Inverness and Falkirk staying up, as well as Celtic and Rangers going for the title - these are the games people will be looking at.
"For us, it is nice to be involved in this type of game because we don't have any pressure. But because there isn't that pressure, I think it could be a good game that everyone will enjoy."
