The win over the Pars left them just three points adrift of sixth place and Billy is keen to see home successes like that repeated on road trips.

“To be fair, we’ve had too many draws, but, at home, we have lost only to Celtic and Hearts. I’d like to see more wins away from home, because we are one win away from the top six now and, if we can continue to improve, we can get there,” he said.

“I know we lost at Livingston the other week, but I honestly think that was just a blip and we’ve been making progress. We’ve got ourselves on to the coat tails of the teams above us and we’ve got the chance to get right in among them.

“That gives us a huge incentive to go down there, win and improve our away form, because we know it could have been better.

“Don’t get me wrong, it will be a hard game, because Kilmarnock are a good team and it won’t be easy down there. But the boys should go there believing they are good enough to win, because they are. If we do, it can be a massive result because of where it puts us and it will show we can be up there.”

Without labouring on the subject, he does admit the pressure has been on the management team in recent weeks and he has nothing but praise for the way the players have reacted to that on the park.

“One thing that would have disappointed me was that if I felt the boys had not been behind us, but that has never been he case and I know they’ve given us all they’ve got,” he added.

“They have been different class and that is all you can ask for. Even at Livingston, the result might have been bad, but the way they approached the game was right and they dominated a match away from home.

“That’s why I said to them afterwards it was a blip, and I think the result against Dunfermline and, hopefully, the ones to come, will show that.”

With recent injury doubts Grant Brebner and Peter Canero suffering no major reaction to starting in midweek, United have no serious injury worries and manager Gordon Chisholm will have a strong squad to choose from.

Dropping out of the home line-up will be SPL top scorer Kris Boyd, who spent yesterday finalising his £500,00 move to Rangers and will be watching their game at Dunfermline on Monday.

While stressing it was still a difficult game, Billy admitted the timing of that deal — he can’t play until January, so will miss United’s trip to Ibrox — was welcome news.

“If you take goals out of any team it has to have an effect and he is a boy who has scored a few against us. What’s important, though, is for us to remember we still have a job to do.”