Goalkeeper Jamie MacDonald believes experience of recovering from big defeats this season stands Kilmarnock in good stead following their 5-1 thumping by Dundee United last weekend.

Killie started the Ladbrokes Premiership campaign with a 4-0 home defeat to newly-promoted Dundee and before their trip to Tannadice had conceded four goals to Ross County and Aberdeen and five to Partick Thistle.

Killie won two and drew one of the matches following those four heavy beatings and ahead of the visit of Hamilton on Saturday, where the Ayrshire outfit look to leapfrog the visitors out of the relegation play-off spot, MacDonald looked at those responses for some positives.

The 29-year-old said: "It is not the first time it has happened this season so I think we are probably well drilled to maybe deal with it rather than it being a first-time thing and heads go down.

"I think that was our fifth game this season where we properly got a bit of a doing to be honest. Of course it is worrying. You maybe get one or two freak results like that a year.

"The boys have just been in working hard and hoping to rectify the situation at the weekend.

"Every time we seem to get a bit of a run going, a few good results, confidence up, we go and shoot ourselves in the foot and take a defeat and usually a heavy defeat at that.

"That is what is disappointing, I don't think it is the fact of being beaten which is the problem, it is the manner that they come in sometimes.

"But we had been in good form prior to the game on Saturday so we just need to make sure it is a blip and we get back on track on Saturday."

Kilmarnock are 11 points clear of United and one behind Accies, Motherwell and Partick Thistle.

MacDonald concedes the prospect of going down is firmly on the agenda following the Tannadice defeat but believes the "crazy" nature of the league gives him hope that Killie can survive.

The former Hearts and Falkirk number one said: "The league this season is crazy to be honest.

"As much as we are in the relegation play-off spot, we are eight points off fifth place - obviously teams have games in hand - which is ridiculous to be honest.

"But first and foremost we need to start winning games and get away from the relegation zone and then you can talk about where you are going to finish.

"If you can try to squeeze into the top six before the split then happy days but if not, as I say, we need to make sure we are away from the play-off zone."