Kilmarnock boss Alex Dyer wants new boy Nicke Kabamba to help Eamonn Brophy get back to his best.

Killie signed the 26-year-old striker from Hartlepool on an 18-month contract for an undisclosed fee and he scored off the bench on his debut in the 6-0 home William Hill Scottish Cup win against Queen's Park last week.

His cameo earned him a start in the Ladbrokes Premiership clash with Celtic at Rugby Park on Wednesday night and he netted again in the 3-1 defeat in which Brophy, whose form last season saw him win a Scotland cap against Cyprus, came off the bench.

Ahead of the trip to St Johnstone on Saturday, Dyer spoke about added competition bringing the former Hamilton attacker, who has scored only four times this season, back to top form.

"I think Kabamba and Harry Bunn (new winger) have taken us to another level, it was something that we needed, some fresh blood around the place and may it continue," said Dyer, who hopes to have "one or two more in before the window shuts."

"It is brilliant. It's what you want from your new signing, you want them to come in to the building and hit the floor running.

"It makes the other forwards look now and hopefully they have got to step themselves up, i.e. Brophy if he can get himself back in the side.

"It might make him perk up a little bit and hopefully get him back to what he was.

"He is very important for the club, I want Brophy back firing.

"When Brophy is at the top of his game there is not many players better than him. We need to get him back to what he was.

"Hopefully with another person in the building it will give him that little bit of lift to say, 'I need to work a little bit harder and up my game a little bit.'

"Whether it is Kabamba and Brophy together, or one of them up front, I hope they both do their job."

Killie have not won a league game since beating Hearts on November 23 but Dyer is looking at the second half of the season with optimism.

He said: "The togetherness is back. Since we have come back after the break, everyone is at it, everyone is working hard and pointing in the right direction.

"So I am looking forward to tomorrow and the rest of the season and hopefully we can go up there and get a point at least. That's our aim."