TOMMY Wright tonight branded Kilmarnock’s defending in the 2-1 defeat to Dundee that relegated them from the Premiership as “embarrassing” and accepted full responsibility for the Ayrshire club’s fate.

Wright’s side, trailing 2-1 after the first leg of the play-off final at Dens Park on Thursday night, conceded two goals in the first 12 minutes of the second leg at Rugby Park this evening.

Kyle Lafferty netted a second-half penalty for the home team – but the home team slumped to a 2-1 defeat and a 4-2 aggregate loss and dropped down to the Championship after a 28 year stay in the top flight.

Wright, who took over from Alex Dyer as manager in February, admitted their play at the back had not been good enough over the two games against the Tayside outfit.  

“We didn't do enough,” he said. “We didn't compete enough. Dundee were stronger but they didn't have to do a lot to win either game. We gifted them three out of four goals.

“The first goal tonight is absolutely embarrassing from our point of view. No-one took responsibility in a two-v-one situation and we end up behind the eight-ball within the first 15 minutes.

“The second goal is a wee bit unfortunate because Kirk (Broadfoot) and Zeno (Rossi) collide and leave a free header for Ashcroft.

“We didn't do enough. Too many players haven't turned up and not just in the play-off games – it's all season.

“That's 24 defeats this season in 40 games if you count this as two league games in. That says a lot about the squad.

 Wright continued: “We've been gifting goals away. The first day I arrived I told them if they do the basics, defend well and take responsibility you can stay in the league.

“But we haven't done that. They haven't done it all season. There’s been too many defeats.

“It takes a mental capacity to turn defeats into draws or draws into wins – to see out games that you're not doing well in and to fight for your team. But it hasn't happened here for a period of time.

 “It surprised me on Thursday, it shocked me tonight because I didn't think we could be that bad again, and we were.

“We've got what we deserved. I'll take responsibility for the time I've been here. I do think I've done OK to a point. But we cannot win games when we make the individual errors we do. We've done it for far too long.”

Wright, who is under contract until 2023, confessed that he felt for the Kilmarnock officials and supporters and stressed that he may re-examine which players receive contract extensions.

“Listen, I'm raw at the minute,” he said. “I know I'll get the support of the job. It's not my future that needs to be discussed about tonight.

“I'm more concerned about the people who work in the background of this club and the people of the town. That's my concern tonight. My future will be sorted.

“There's a rebuild job now. I think there's only four or five signed players now. One or two others may have been getting contracts even if we went down. I might have to revisit that.

 “I just feel sorry for the fans. I've let them down and ultimately the players have let themselves and let the club down. But I'll take my responsibility myself as well. I'm not ducking anything. I thought I could get us out of it, but unfortunately I didn't.”