IAIN VIGURS admits he is bamboozled by Motherwell's stuttering start to the season.

The creative midfielder started his first league match of the SPFL Premiership season on Saturday as Motherwell went down 2-0 away to Kilmarnock.

Despite winning their first game at home to St Mirren, the Lanarkshire club have now lost three on the bounce, a run last recorded in October 2012, against Celtic, Hearts and Hibs.

As in that sequence two years ago, Motherwell have failed to score in those defeats. Vigurs confessed the sluggish opening after the run last season that saw the Fir Park club finish second has left him dumbfounded about what's not working for Well.

He said: "I don't know if it is confidence or what - we just don't seem to be creating much in the final part of the pitch.

"Maybe we need to start taking more shots, I don't know."

Motherwell were ­completely outplayed last weekend by a rampant and forceful Inverness Caley Thistle, but were undone in Ayrshire on Saturday by a mixture of bad luck and excellent finishing.

Kilmarnock's first strike came from teenager Robbie Muirhead, whose swerving long-range shot caught out Well keeper Dan Twardzik.

The second was a fine free-kick by Sammy Clingan on the edge of the area, but it was a set-piece Stuart McCall's side had to defend with just nine men.

Stephen McManus was off receiving treatment and Fraser Kerr had been dismissed for the high boot on Jamie Hamill, which resulted in the free kick.

Well were purposeful in their play, especially in the first half when neat interplay between Vigurs, Henrik Ojamaa and Josh Law threatened to slice open the Killie defence.

And former Ross County man Vigurs reckoned improving so much from the Caley calamity without taking any points was a bitter pill.

He said: "It's a hard one for us to take. In the first half I thought we controlled the game for large bits, we kept the ball, and although we didn't create too many chances I felt we had some good play. We were maybe just missing something in the final third.

"But Robbie Muirhead hit one from 25, 30 yards and it's gone in. With all due respect to Dan, he should be saving that, although maybe it did move a bit in the air.

"I don't think there was much in the game. I certainly don't think there was two goals in it." He added: "I don't think we are punching above our weight.

"I think that it is disrespectful to say that the lads are punching above our weight. There are some good quality players there.

"When we get everyone back from injuries we will show everyone how good we are."

Kilmarnock goal hero ­Clingan paid tribute to Rugby Park No.2 Gary Locke in the wake of the Ayrshire side's first league win on their new plastic pitch, a result which takes them to fourth in the table.

He said: "The manager has brought new players in and Lockey has been in, which has given us a different approach.

"He has brought his own little things, he coaches differently and the lads have taken to him straight away."