Since taking over as manager at Rugby Park in the summer, the former Hibernian boss has used his extensive contacts to refurbish his squad which had been weakened by several departures.

Former Swansea goalkeeper Kyle Letheren, Mohamadou Sissoko, David Mendes Da Silva, Ben Gordon, James Dayton and Harry Forrester were all joined by Finland international playmaker Alexei Eremenko, who signed on a season-long loan from Ukrainian side Metalist Kharkiv just before the transfer window closed.

Two foreign trialists who are out of contract will get their chance to impress ahead of Saturday’s Clydesdale Bank Premier League clash with St Mirren.

Paatelainen said: “We do have a couple of trialists here at the moment.

“The trialists are not Scottish but there is no reason for that.

“Ideally I would like as many Scottish players as possible but if I feel that financially, or in terms of talent or the way we play, there are no Scottish players then we will look elsewhere.

“We are using our contacts to the maximum and so far we have been successful.

“I was hoping that it would all stop on September 1st but there is still a little bit scope to bring in players and if a player comes on trial and we feel he will strengthen us, we will consider making a move again.

“I am happy with the squad we have at the moment but I’m always looking to strengthen and talking to the chairman.”

Paatelainen confirmed that Eremenko could make his debut against the Saints.

He said: “He will be in the squad. He is fit after a couple of matches for Finland and he is eager to show his talent.

“We will see in Saturday whether he plays or not.”

Eremenko, who has 44 caps for Finland, has been on loan with FC Jaro and scored six goals in 15 appearances before switching to the SPL. He moved to the Veikkausliiga side in March, signed by his father after making just 10 appearances for Metalist.

Prior to his move to Ukraine in 2009, Eremenko had a successful three year spell with Russian club FC Saturn, having moved from Italian club Lecce.

The 27-year-old holds Finnish citizenship on account of his father’s move to FC Jaro as a player during his career and made his international debut in 2003. Playing as an attacking midfielder, he has scored an impressive 13 goals for his country.

An attacking midfielder who is predominantly left footed, the well-travelled player also had spells with FC Jokerit and HJK Helsinki after a short spell with FC Metz’s youth academy.

New Killie boss Mixu Paatelainen has been busy in the summer transfer window, adding Mahamadou Sissoko, David Silva, Ben Gordon, Harry Forrester, Kyle Letheren and James Dayton to his squad.

The Draw for the Third Round of The Co-operative Insurance Cup took place this afternoon at Hampden.

Rangers v Dunfermline
Kilmarnock v Hibs
Aberdeen v Raith
Falkirk v Hearts
Celtic v Inverness
Ross County v Dundee United
St Johnstone v Queen of the South
Brechin City v Motherwell

Ties to be played on

Tuesday 21st and Wednesay 22nd September 2010

In the event of a draw after normal time, extra time of 30 minutes (i.e. 15 minutes each way) will take place and thereafter, if necessary, kicks from the Penalty Mark will be taken in accordance with the Rules laid down by The International Association Board.

The jeers that punctured the evening air at Pittodrie after this defeat confirmed what the previous 90 minutes had suggested; that plenty of work remains to be done before Aberdeen’s promising start to the campaign can be celebrated as a revolution.

Never mind that Mark McGhee’s side remain in the upper reaches of the Clydesdale Bank Premier League, this loss carried ominous echoes of last season. The defending that led to Kilmarnock’s late winner was calamitous, and a midfield that started with fearsome intent was soon curbed as the visitors, having realised the poverty of the threat, grew into the game and were ultimately rewarded for their eventual ambition.

“I’m greedy and I always knew it was possible to win the game,” insisted Mixu Paatelainen, when asked about his side’s belated supremacy. “We came here with a plan to be organised and the boys followed it. We were dangerous whenever we got the ball, created chances and would have scored earlier had Lady Luck been on our side.”

Indeed they might, given the alarming frailties in Aberdeen’s defence. The expectation was that the visitors would threaten from wide areas, where James Dayton and David Da Silva were tasked with troubling their full-backs, but any moments of danger had their genesis in simple balls slipped between the centre-backs for Conor Sammon to gallop after. Twice within two first-half minutes, the striker was released but twice denied, first by a Rory McArdle goal-line clearance after Mark Howard allowed his scuffed shot to slip from his grasp, then by a fine recovery challenge by Zander Diamond.

You would have thought Aberdeen might learn from that, but Sammon again escaped on a couple of occasions after the interval, Howard redeeming himself by plunging low to thrust one well-struck effort past a post.

By that stage, with 20 minutes remaining, Aberdeen were struggling badly as Kilmarnock, emboldened, pressed for an unlikely first win of the campaign. Jamie Hamill came close, his looping effort almost deceiving Howard before the goalkeeper retreated sufficiently to flip over the crossbar, then Mackie blocked Mohamadou Sissoko’s header from a Dayton corner on the line before Pascali flashed a snapshot narrowly over.

The pressure, though, soon told. Craig Bryson’s diagonal ball to the edge of the area caught out the backtracking Mitch Megginson, who got into a dreadful funk as goalkeeper Howard raced from his goal, culminating in the ball squirting into the path of Hamill, who had time to take a touch before slapping a shot into the empty net from 18 yards.

“Young Mitch got caught on the wrong side and Mark realised he had to come and try to recover the situation but got unlucky,” was McGhee’s explanation. “Perhaps we were naive in trying to win the game but it was there for us to win and the biggest disappointment for me was not scoring in the first half. Even at the time they scored we had a lot of pressure and the goal was on the counter but I think we got caught a bit short.”

In truth, the goal had been coming. Paul Hartley had, unsurprisingly, been central to all Aberdeen’s good early work; equally predictable was that the hosts’ struggles mirrored those of their captain.

Depicted in a supporters’ banner as Che Guevara, with the legend “El Capitano” scrawled beneath his bearded likeness, the captain had snarled and snapped his way through the early stages, combining brutality with astonishing chicanery. James Fowler experienced both in the space of a few first-half minutes, Hartley’s studs rattling towards him in a 50-50 challenge then the Scotland internationalist exhibiting his delicate side, scooping a stationary ball over his bemused rival’s head from a couple of yards away before rounding him to collect.

A more meaningful contribution came from dead balls. Early sighters from Chris Maguire and Josh Magennis were all that Cammy Bell had had to trouble him until Hartley began to find his range. Pascali nudged the first effort over his own crossbar but Hartley’s second reared up at the goalkeeper, who could only beat it into the path of McArdle. The defender should not have given Bell the chance to block his follow up.

Yet as Hartley’s influence waned, so did Aberdeen’s. Passes went awry and frustrations grew as a lack of zip, allied to Kilmarnock’s doughty organisation, caused the contest to descend into an ugly scrap, enlivened for the agitated hosts only by half chances for McArdle and Darren Mackie.

Those spurned opportunities were greeted by muted jeers; the real discontent was being saved for later in the afternoon.

As told by HeraldScotland

Kilmarnock have agreed a deal to sign striker Harry Forrester from Aston Villa on loan until January.

Killie manager Mixu Paatelainen hopes to have the 20-year-old available to feature in Saturday’s Scottish Premier League game against Aberdeen.

“Harry is a young striker who has not yet broken into the Villa first-team but he’s one for the future,” he said.

Forrester began his career with Watford before Villa beat Manchester United and Spurs to his signature in July 2007.

He signed his first professional contract with Villa the following January.

Villa paid an initial fee of £250,000 with Watford due a sell-on fee should he move to another club.

Paatelainen said Forrester was a welcome addition and tipped him to shine in Scotland’s top flight.

“I think the SPL gives these boys a good platform to perform,” he added.

“He came in a couple of weeks ago to train with us and played in a practice match and did really well and scored a goal.

“So we took it forward and now he is joining us.

“He is a very energetic player, good technical ability, buzzes about the main striker.”

Kilmarnock are aiming to bolster their attacking options following the departures of Kevin Kyle, Allan Russell and David Fernandez.

Nancy striker Basile Camerling remains at Rugby Park on trial but former Coventry forward Cedric Roussel will not be signing.

“There might be one or two still to come,” Paatelainen said.

“We are working very hard and have various options so we are hopeful.”

As told by BBC Sport