MX23RW : Thursday, December 6 23:04:55
Dec 1, 2018 at 3pm UK at ​Rugby Park (Kilmarnock)
Kilmarnock
vs.
Hibernian
Brophy (6', 34' pen.)

Clarke keen to keep players grounded after moving up to second in table

Clarke keen to keep players grounded after moving up to second in table
© Reuters
The Ayrshire club beat Hibernian 3-0 to close the gap on leaders Celtic to one point.

Kilmarnock manager Steve Clarke insists his side will not get ahead of themselves after another commanding Ladbrokes Premiership victory moved them up to the lofty heights of second.

The Ayrshire side brushed aside Hibernian with relative ease on an eventful afternoon that saw three home goals and two second half power cuts.

Eamonn Brophy marked his return from a month long injury with two strikes before the interval and then Greg Stewart rounded off an impressive showing with a breakaway third in stoppage time.

The result moves Clarke's men up to second and just a point off seven-in-a-row champions Celtic. But the Killie boss says his players will not be getting carried away.

"We always just take it game to game," Clarke explained.

"It was tough last week against St Johnstone so it was nice to get a win today and now we can focus on Livingston in midweek. Hopefully we can sort the problem with the lights and we can all have an early night.

"We only think about one game at a time. Someone told me that we could go second before the game and I honestly didn't know.

"The stoppages actually affected us more than Hibs today because they were chasing the game and had nothing to lose, whereas we couldn't find a proper rhythm in the second half.

"It was nice to get the third goal but we should probably have had it earlier."

Hibernian assistant manager Garry Parker was understandably less happy with the showing from his side.

The Easter Road outfit have not won since the 6-0 drubbing of Hamilton in early October and have slipped down to eighth in the table.

"They are good players in their own right but they are not doing it at the moment," Parker said.

"We could have been out there all day and still not scored.

"It's hard because you're on the touchline shouting out instructions. It's different if you're playing because you can do something about it but the players have got to look at themselves and do better.

"We've got a game on Wednesday and you need that as soon as possible. It doesn't matter who you're playing against you just want to get back on the field and put it right."


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Kilmarnock manager Steve Clarke pictured on May 5, 2018
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Clarke looking to end winless streak against ‘dangerous’ Hibs
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Tables
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1RangersRangers1593337132430
2Celtic148422752228
3Aberdeen147431611525
4Kilmarnock156631610624
5St Johnstone156631618-224
6Hearts166551817123
7Livingston155551012-220
8Hibernian1447322121019
9Motherwell154561521-617
10Hamilton AcademicalHamilton1642101234-2214
11St Mirren162591028-1811
12Dundee1514101028-187

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