Dean Shiels on as a 74th-minute substitute. Shiels scored his first goal for Kilmarnock in a 2–1 away defeat to Inverness CT. He scored a penalty in a 1–0 win over Hearts, after Marius Zaliukas fouled Paul Heffernan. Shiels signed for Kilmarnock on a permanent basis in January 2012. Shiels scored the only goal of the Scottish League Cup semi-final against Ayrshire derby rivals Ayr United on 28 January. He also scored the winning goal in a game against Rangers at Ibrox on 18 February, in Rangers' first game after entering administration. On 18 March, he played in the 2012 Scottish League
Kenny Shiels the club, having a rejected a move from an English club in the past week. A week later, on 22 May 2012, Shiels signed a two-year contract extension. At the start of the 2012–13 season, Shiels was given two-match touchline ban by the SFA in June, having served one suspension on the last game of the season and miss one match at the opening game of the season. His touchline ban was given over commenting made about a referee's decisions made in a match between Celtic and St Johnstone. Following a controversial penalty in a 2-0 defeat against Hibernian on