Kilbane said: “The manager has been in this position before, and he knows what it takes to dig in for a challenge.
“We have the right man in charge, and now it’s up to the players to show what we can do, starting Sunday.
“We have 16 games left to play. That’s 48 points to play for, so there’s an awfully long way to go yet.
“Although we’ve not had the best of months, now is the time to forget what’s gone before, roll our sleeves up and just get on with the job ahead of us.
“I’m convinced, as are the rest of the lads, there is sufficient quality and character in this dressing room to pull through this sticky patch and put a bit of a run together that will see us climb back up the table.”