The 2017–18 season was Kilmarnock's fifth season in the Premiership, and their 25th consecutive season in the top flight of Scotlish football.
Overview Following a pre-season training camp in La Manga, Spain, Kilmarnock played one friendly before the season began against Livingston.
Kilmarnock were seeded for the group stage draw of the League Cup and were drawn to face rivals Ayr United along with Dumbarton, Clyde and Annan Athletic.
In their opening fixture, Kilmarnock lost their first Ayrshire derby for 18 years after Andy Geggan scored the only goal at Somerset Park. After the early setback, Kilmarnock recovered to finish second in Group E and qualified for the second round where they would play defending champions Celtic at Celtic Park. There was a question over whether Celtic should have been awarded a penalty after 13 minutes when Jonny Hayes appeared to dive in the box but it made little difference as they eased to a 5–0 win and knocked Kilmarnock out.
The Premiership season began on 5 August 2017 and is scheduled to conclude on 13 May 2018. Kilmarnock were originally scheduled to play their first away match on 12 August 2017 against Heart of Midlothian but the fixture was reversed due to the redevelopment of Tynecastle Stadium. Their first away game of the season was instead played on 9 September 2017 against Motherwell, their fifth league fixture. The rearranged Hearts tie, due to be played on 5 November 2017, was subsequently switched to Murrayfield Stadium because the redevelopment works had taken longer than initially scheduled.
Kilmarnock picked up their first point of the season in a 2–2 home draw with Hamilton Academical in their fourth game. The away side managed to hold Kilmarnock to a draw by scoring a last-minute penalty to come back from 2–0 down. Top scorer Kris Boyd picked up a hamstring injury during the match.
Kilmarnock's match against Hibernian on 21 October 2017 was postponed due to Hibernian's participation in the League Cup semi-finals and was rearranged to be played on 31 October 2017.
Following a 2–0 home defeat to Ross County, Kilmarnock parted company with manager Lee McCulloch on 1 October 2017. Kilmarnock had won none of their opening eight league matches scoring only five goals as they sat bottom of the table with just three points. On 14 October 2017 Kilmarnock announced that former West Bromwich Albion and Reading manager Steve Clarke would take over as manager from 16 October 2017. Academy director Paul McDonald took charge of the game against Partick Thistle on 14 October 2017.
With new manager Steve Clarke watching from the stand, Kilmarnock claimed their first league win of the season with a 2–0 victory at Firhill Stadium against fellow strugglers Partick Thistle. Top scorer Kris Boyd scored his first goal since August as Kilmarnock moved off the bottom of the league.
Clarke had to wait until 25 October for his first game in charge of the team at Ibrox Stadium against Rangers. The home side took the lead shortly before half time when Jason Holt scored. However, as Clark alluded to after the game, his side looked as if they deserved something from the game. In a dramatic final few minutes, Rangers were awarded a penalty before Ryan Jack was sent off for Rangers on 93 minutes. Daniel Candeias stepped up but his effort was saved by Killie keeper Jamie MacDonald and Kilmarnock broke up the other end with former Rangers midfielder Chris Burke netting the equaliser.
Just three days later, Clarke's side recorded another creditable draw in Glasgow after Jordan Jones scored a 60th-minute equaliser against Celtic at Celtic Park.
Clarke's first home game in charge saw Killie take on Hibernian on Halloween. The scoreline may suggest a Halloween horror show for Clarke's men but the home side were extremely unlucky - creating 16 scoring opportunities in the match - as a clinical Hibs recorded a 3–0 win.
Murrayfield Stadium was the scene for Clarke's first win in charge against Hearts on 5 November 2017. Kris Boyd had given Killie a 1–0 half-time lead before Esmaël Gonçalves equalised with 14 minutes to go. Adam Frizzell scored his second goal of the season 10 minutes later as Killie earned a 2–1 win.
Kilmarnock had to wait until 9 December 2017 for their first home league win of the season against Partick Thistle. Chris Erskine had cancelled out Kris Boyd's opener before Killie ran riot with Eamonn Brophy scoring twice, Boyd getting his second and an unfortunate own goal from Niall Keown earning them a 5–1 win as they moved up to eighth in the Premiership. It was the first time Kilmarnock had scored five goals in a league game since a 5–1 SPL win against Dunfermline Athletic in December 2006, 11 years ago.
Clarke's Kilmarnock continued to break records as they picked up their 13th point in five games with a first win over Rangers at Rugby Park since 2011 and a third consecutive home win for the first time in three years. Kris Boyd scored his 10th and 11th goals of the season as Killie came from behind to earn a deserved 2–1 win against the Glasgow side. The three points saw Kilmarnock spend Christmas in the top six as they moved up two places to sixth in the table.
Killie's Premiership match with Hamilton Academical on 27 December 2017 was postponed after the pitch at New Douglas Park failed a second inspection. Hamilton claimed that the match was "swept away by nature" after snow - which had been left on the pitch overnight - had frozen leaving the artificial surface unplayable.
Hibernian were the opponents for Killie's last match of 2017 and their last match ahead of the three-week winter break. A Kris Boyd goal earned Kilmarnock a 1–1 draw at Easter Road as they extended their unbeaten away run to nine matches and ended December unbeaten with four wins and two draws. The point moved Kilmarnock back above St Johnstone as they ended the year in the top six. On Monday 15 January 2018, Clarke was named Premiership manager of the month for December with Kris Boyd named player of the month after scoring six goals in December.
Kilmarnock were due to play St Johnstone on 24 January 2018 at Rugby Park but the match was postponed after the Perth Saints' Scottish Cup match with Albion Rovers was postponed due to a frozen pitch at Cliftonhill and subsequently rearranged to be played on 23 January 2018. The match against Dundee on 31 January 2018 suffered a similar fate after it was postponed due to the clash Dundee's Scottish Cup fourth round replay against Inverness Caledonian Thistle on the same day.
Kilmarnock entered the fourth round of Scottish Cup as one of the Premiership clubs, starting on 20 January 2018. The draw for the fourth round was made on Monday, 20 November 2017 and Kilmarnock were drawn at home to fellow Premiership side Ross County. Lee Erwin scored the only goal of the game from the penalty spot after Tim Chow was sent off late on.
The fifth round draw was made on 21 January 2018 and Kilmarnock were drawn at home to Highland League side Brora Rangers. The two teams had never played against each other before and Brora made it tough for Kilmarnock but the Premiership side ran out 4–0 winners.
The draw for the quarter-finals was made on 11 February 2018 and Kilmarnock were drawn away to fellow Premiership side Aberdeen. After conceding an early goal at Pittodrie Stadium, Killie battled back and earned a replay at Rugby Park thanks to a Kris Boyd penalty.
Kilmarnock's cup run came to an end in the replay at Rugby Park. The 90 minutes ended in a stalemate and, with a place in the semi-finals against Motherwell awaiting the winner, Stephen O'Donnell gave the home side the lead six minutes into extra-time. Aberdeen equalised through a Kenny McLean penalty before Eamonn Brophy had a goal controversially disallowed for offside. In the penalty shoot-out, former Killie keeper Freddie Woodman saved three penalties to see Aberdeen through 3–2.
Match results Pre-season and friendlies DateOpponentsH / AResultF–AScorers8 July 2017Livingston H1–0Waters 50'
Premiership
DateOpponentsH / AResultF–AScorersAttendanceLeagueposition5 August 2017St JohnstoneH1–2K. Boyd 59'3,3958th12 August 2017Heart of MidlothianH0–15,0769th19 August 2017CelticH0–210,06910th26 August 2017Hamilton AcademicalH2–2Longridge (o.g.) 3', Erwin 58'3,70610th9 September 2017MotherwellA0–24,62111th16 September 2017AberdeenA1–1Jones 48'15,03712th23 September 2017DundeeH1–1Greer 64'3,45212th30 September 2017Ross CountyH0–23,33712th14 October 2017Partick ThistleA2–0K. Boyd 39', Frizzell 63'3,66211th21 October 2017HibernianHPostponed25 October 2017RangersA1–1Burke 90+5'47,98111th28 October 2017CelticA1–1Jones 60'58,06011th31 October 2017HibernianH0–35,00511th5 November 2017Heart of MidlothianA2–1K. Boyd 31', Frizzell 86'16,34710th18 November 2017DundeeA0–05,85310th26 November 2017AberdeenH1–3Jones 66'4,19810th2 December 2017St JohnstoneA2–1Findlay 10', Brophy 66'2,95010th9 December 2017Partick ThistleH5–1K. Boyd 12', 79' (pen.), Brophy 20', 65', Keown (o.g.) 60'4,3398th12 December 2017Ross CountyA2–2Brophy 61', K. Boyd 86'3,0218th16 December 2017MotherwellH1–0S. Boyd 42'4,1798th23 December 2017RangersH2–1K. Boyd 77', 80'11,4906th27 December 2017Hamilton AcademicalAPostponed30 December 2017HibernianA1–1K. Boyd 1'17,6666th24 January 2018St JohnstoneHPostponed27 January 2018AberdeenA1–3K. Boyd 28'13,7237th31 January 2018DundeeHPostponed3 February 2018CelticH1–0Mulumbu 70'10,7026th13 February 2018DundeeH3–2Brophy 5', K. Boyd 74', Wilson 87'3,7687th17 February 2018MotherwellA1–0O'Donnell 34'5,3226th24 February 2018HibernianH2–2Jones 58', K. Boyd 61'5,3486th27 February 2018Heart of MidlothianA1–1Brophy 3'15,8626th7 March 2018St JohnstoneH2–0K. Boyd 30' (pen.), Erwin 58'3,8075th10 March 2018Ross CountyH3–2Erwin 16', K. Boyd 45', Brophy 74'4,0015th13 March 2018Hamilton AcademicalAPostponed17 March 2018RangersA1–0K. Boyd 54'49,3965th31 March 2018Hamilton AcademicalH2–0Erwin 5', O'Donnell 45+4'4,6725th7 April 2018Partick ThistleA1–0Findlay 35'4,2275th14 April 2018Hamilton AcademicalA2–1Broadfoot 63', K. Boyd 79'4,3485th21 April 2018AberdeenH0–25,0675th28 April 2018HibernianA3–5K. Boyd 33', 80', Findlay 61'17,4705th5 May 2018RangersA0–149,7035th9 May 2018CelticA0–054,9165th13 May 2018Heart of MidlothianH1–0Erwin 10'6,2735th
Scottish Cup
DateRoundOpponentsH / AResultF–AScorersAttendance20 January 2018Fourth roundRoss CountyH1–0Erwin 88' (pen.)3,59510 February 2018Fifth roundBrora RangersH4–0Tshibola 42', K. Boyd 58', Brophy 76', O'Donnell 82'4,2783 March 2018Quarter-finalAberdeenA1–1K. Boyd 68' (pen.)8,73913 March 2018Quarter-final replayAberdeenH1–1 (a.e.t.)2–3pO'Donnell 96'8,998
League Cup
DateRoundOpponentsH / AResultF–AScorersAttendance14 July 2017Group stageAyr UnitedA0–16,41718 July 2017Group stageClydeH4–2McKenzie 7', 68', Thomas 53', 59'1,87122 July 2017Annan AthleticA2–0K. Boyd 7', 62'74329 July 2017DumbartonH3–0Burke 53', K. Boyd 72', Erwin 76'2,4448 August 2017Second roundCelticA0–527,407
Squad statistics No.Pos.NameLeagueScottish CupLeague CupTotalDisciplineAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals1GK Jamie MacDonald3503050430102DF Stephen O'Donnell3624240444503DF Steven Smith30000030104DF Gordon Greer2010010211305DF Kirk Broadfoot3014050391916MF Alan Power2403040310507MF Rory McKenzie2503052332808MF Gary Dicker2104000250919FW Kris Boyd (c)3418424342232010FW Greg Kiltie9040001300011MF Jordan Jones32440504149112DF Greg Taylor38030404506014DF Daniel Higgins000010101015MF Dom Thomas9000421320016DF Scott Boyd11120101411117DF Stuart Findlay32340003631018DF Calum Waters500010601019FW Alex Samizadeh100020300020MF Iain Wilson13100501814021MF Adam Frizzell15210502123022FW Lee Erwin34541214073023MF Dean Hawkshaw500000500024MF Youssouf Mulumbu18120002014025FW Eamonn Brophy28741003284026DF Aaron Simpson400000400027FW Aaron Tshibola12021001415029MF Chris Burke20110412521030MF Will Graham000040400032GK Leo Fasan3010004000 Source:
Club statistics Competition overview