The 2018–19 season was Kilmarnock's sixth season in the Premiership, and their 26th consecutive season in the top flight of Scottish football.
Overview Killie, like the previous season, went on a pre-season training camp in La Manga, Spain. On 13 July 2018, manager Steve Clarke said that Youssouf Mulumbu had left Kilmarnock and wasn't expected to return to the club. A Kilmarnock XI took part in two friendly matches. The first was against East Kilbride on 18 July 2018 in which Daniel Higgins scored the only goal of the game to give Killie a 1–0 win. On 22 July 2018, Killie played local junior side Kilwinning Rangers in Ben Lewis's testimonial.
Kilmarnock finished the season in third place - the club's highest league finish since 1966 - and with a record points tally. Eamonn Brophy's 89th-minute penalty secured a 2–1 win over Rangers in the last game of the season to secure third and qualification to the 2019–20 UEFA Europa League.
Kilmarnock were seeded for the group stage draw of the League Cup and were drawn to face Premiership rivals St Mirren along with Dumbarton, Queen's Park and Spartans. In their opening fixture, Kilmarnock drew 0–0 with St Mirren and missed out on the opportunity for a bonus point as they lost 3–2 on penalties. They won their subsequent three matches to finish first in Group H. Killie were eliminated in the second round by Rangers.
Kilmarnock entered the fourth round of the Scottish Cup as one of the Premiership clubs, starting on 19 January 2019. After defeating Forfar Athletic, they lost to Rangers in a fifth round replay.
Results Pre-season and friendlies
DateOpponentsVenueResultF–AScorers18 July 2018East KilbrideK-Park Training Academy1–0Higgins 86'22 July 2018Kilwinning RangersAbbey Park3–1
Premiership
DateOpponentsH / AResultF–AScorersAttendanceLeagueposition4 August 2018St JohnstoneH2–0S. Boyd 58', Ndjoli 85'4,6444th11 August 2018LivingstonA0–02,5864th25 August 2018Heart of MidlothianH0–16,2396th1 September 2018AberdeenA2–0Brophy 44', Stewart 69'14,2483rd15 September 2018HibernianA2–3Brophy 26', Stewart 44'17,6227th23 September 2018CelticH2–1Burke 64', Findlay 90+3'10,9885th29 September 2018MotherwellH3–1Burke 39', Stewart 44', Brophy 59' (pen.)5,0903rd6 October 2018DundeeA2–1Boyle 17' (o.g.), Brophy 54' (pen.)5,1583rd20 October 2018St MirrenA2–1Power 56', Tshibola 68'5,8893rd27 October 2018Hamilton AcademicalH1–1McKenzie 44'5,0232nd31 October 2018RangersA1–1Stewart 15'49,2793rd4 November 2018AberdeenH1–2K. Boyd 32'5,2704th10 November 2018Heart of MidlothianA1–0Millen 73'17,4174th24 November 2018St JohnstoneA0–03,5594th1 December 2018HibernianH3–0Brophy 6', 34' (pen.), Stewart 90'6,0362nd5 December 2018LivingstonH2–0Stewart 3', 20'4,1431st8 December 2018CelticA1–5Brophy 52' (pen.)58,4573rd15 December 2018DundeeH3–1Broadfoot 54', Kusunga 66' (o.g.), Stewart 79'4,6681st22 December 2018Hamilton AcademicalA1–1Brophy 7'3,4014th26 December 2018MotherwellA1–0Jones 40'5,4263rd29 December 2018St MirrenH2–1Findlay 4', Jones 11'7,1313rd23 January 2019RangersH2–1Brophy 22', Jones 66'12,3742nd26 January 2019AberdeenA0–015,5602nd1 February 2019Heart of MidlothianH1–2Jones 45+1'5,5523rd6 February 2019DundeeA2–2McAleny 18', Burke 54'4,6944th17 February 2019CelticH0–111,9164th23 February 2019LivingstonA0–12,5694th27 February 2019MotherwellH0–0Abandoned2 March 2019MotherwellH0–06,2154th11 March 2019St MirrenA1–0Millar 87'4,4584th16 March 2019RangersA1–1McAleny 29'49,5274th30 March 2019Hamilton AcademicalH5–0Taylor 5', McAleny 56', Mulumbu 63', Burke 84', Ndjoli 90+2'4,7623rd3 April 2019HibernianA0–016,5883rd6 April 2019St JohnstoneH2–0Kane 17' (o.g.), K. Boyd 43' (pen.)4,6853rd20 April 2019AberdeenH0–16,5314th27 April 2019CelticA0–158,8514th4 May 2019Heart of MidlothianA1–0Findlay 86'17,1033rd11 May 2019HibernianH1–0Brophy 32' (pen.)7,4843rd19 May 2019RangersH2–1Burke 9', Brophy 89' (pen.)12,2483rd
Scottish Cup
DateRoundOpponentsH / AResultF–AScorersAttendance19 January 2019Fourth roundForfar AthleticH2–0Findlay 19', Burke 78'4,3769 February 2019Fifth roundRangersH0–011,43020 February 2019Fifth round replayRangersA0–537,918
League Cup
DateRoundOpponentsH / AResultF–AScorersAttendance13 July 2018Group stageSt MirrenH0–0 (2–3p)4,02621 July 2018Group stageDumbartonA4–2Ndjoli 48', K. Boyd 68', 76', 90'1,35324 July 2018SpartansA3–0Erwin 63', Ndjoli 80', 90'1,07828 July 2018Queen's ParkH2–0Brophy 62', K. Boyd 90+3'2,83519 August 2018Second roundRangersH1–3Barišić 51' (o.g.)12,016
Squad statistics No.Pos.NameLeagueScottish CupLeague CupTotalDisciplineAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals1GK Jamie MacDonald1302040190002DF Stephen O'Donnell3702040430703DF Greg Taylor3612030411404MF Jack Byrne50000050104DF Alex Bruce40100050005DF Kirk Broadfoot2711050331526MF Alan Power36130504411207MF Rory McKenzie2412020281218MF Gary Dicker3503040420819FW Kris Boyd (c)19220442563110FW Greg Kiltie301020600011MF Jordan Jones28420503541012FW Mikael Ndjoli24220533143013GK Devlin MacKay100000100015FW Bright Enobakhare600000601015FW Conor McAleny11320001331016DF Scott Boyd17130402413017DF Stuart Findlay31311203444118DF Calum Waters201020501019FW Lee Erwin100041510019FW Greg Stewart16800001683019FW Liam Millar13110001410020MF Iain Wilson601020900021MF Adam Frizzell000000000022DF Ross Millen410020611023DF Dom Thomas100020300024MF Youssouf Mulumbu10120001213025FW Eamonn Brophy2911103133123026GK Daniel Bachmann25020102801127MF Aaron Tshibola271200029110029MF Chris Burke355314042610 Source:
Club statistics Competition overview
League table
League cup table
Player transfers
Transfers in DatePositionNamePrevious clubFeeRef.4 July 2018FW Mikael Ndjoli BournemouthLoan13 July 2018DFRoss MillenQueen’s ParkFree8 August 2018GK Daniel Bachmann WatfordLoan28 August 2018FWGreg Stewart Birmingham CityLoan29 August 2018MF Aaron Tshibola Aston VillaLoan31 August 2018FW Bright Enobakhare Wolverhampton WanderersLoan31 August 2018MF Jack Byrne Oldham AthleticFree28 January 2019FW Conor McAleny Fleetwood TownLoan30 January 2019DF Alex Bruce Wigan AthleticFree31 January 2019MF Youssouf MulumbuCelticLoan31 January 2019FW Liam Millar LiverpoolLoan
Transfers out DatePositionNameSubsequent ClubFeeRef30 June 2018MF Youssouf MulumbuCelticFree11 June 2018GK Leo FasanFalkirkFree13 August 2018FWLee Erwin TractorFree14 August 2018FW Alex Samizadeh Curzon AshtonFree30 August 2018MF Brad SpencerDumbartonFree31 August 2018MFAdam FrizzellQueen of the SouthLoan14 September 2018MFDaniel HigginsStranraerLoan14 September 2018MFInnes CameronStranraerLoan7 December 2018MF Jack Byrne Shamrock RoversFree29 January 2019MFIain WilsonQueen of the SouthLoan30 January 2019MFGreg KiltieGreenock MortonLoan31 January 2019MFDominic ThomasDumbartonLoan
References