LEE HODSON could do nothing as Ross Docherty lashed in a late equaliser at Firhill on Friday night, consigning Kilmarnock to a 1-1 draw in Derek McInnes’ second game in charge of the Championship club.

Oli Shaw’s second-half penalty had given the men from Ayrshire a valuable lead to defend and Killie were minutes away from finishing the evening on top of the table before the Jags skipper’s 20-yard thunderbolt ensured a share of the spoils.

Hodson, naturally, was frustrated as his side let their lead slip in dramatic fashion in Glasgow and says he and his team-mates are itching to set the record straight when they are next on league duty, a week on Saturday when they host Inverness. In the intervening period, there is the small matter of a Scottish Cup fourth-round tie against Dundee United to be played.

“It’s a hard one to take,” he sighed. “But that could end up being a big point for us come the end of the season.

“We’ll get back to work, get back on the training pitch and work hard. We have a cup game next week and now our full focus will go into that.

“We’ll go into training and look over games, see what we did well and what we can do better. We’re disappointed to concede late on and not get all three points but we go again next week.

“We never thought it would be easy coming to Firhill, especially because the pitch isn’t the best. We can’t really use that as an excuse as we knew it would be difficult.”

A haul of four points from McInnes’ opening two games is the sort of return that is not to be sniffed at, particularly given the dog-eat-dog nature that accompanies life in the second tier.

Hodson has been enjoying life under the former Aberdeen manager and the full-back believes that while it may take a little time, it will not be long before the players are all singing off the same hymnsheet.

“It’s been very good,” the 30-year-old added. “He’s come in with fresh ideas, new ways of playing, and the lads are fully on board and working as hard as they can to get where we want to be.

“It’s been fantastic so far and the lads are looking forward to getting on the training field and learning the manager’s philosophy and way of playing.

“It doesn’t happen overnight – sometimes it takes a little while when a manager comes in to get that across.”