Clark backs Kilmarnock to improve in 2017

Lee Clark expects his Kilmarnock side to kick on in the second half of the season after they picked up a hard-fought point away to Partick Thistle on the final day of the year.

The Rugby Park outfit have been plagued by injuries and suspensions and have been on the end of heavy defeats to Hearts and Aberdeen in recent weeks, leaving them without a win in six games.

However, after playing out a goalless draw with Thistle and with the winter break giving his players time to recover and recharge their batteries, Clark says things can only get better for Killie.

He said: We should be a lot healthier and a lot stronger come the next games and that is important.

We can recharge and get the players back who are recovering from injuries.

We'll get three of the four back - Scott Boyd, Miles Addison and Rory McKenzie - for the cup match against Hamilton, if not that then the league clash against Ross County, coupled with potential incomings as well.

Getting clean sheets is always the basis to start things. The pleasing thing for me is I keep talking about these games with teams in and around us.

We're doing well in these and not losing and getting positive results.

We have to continue that in the second half of the season, but we have to be better than the teams that are above us so that's what we will be looking to do.

I'm asking young lads to do men's jobs all the time, I'm having to put three or four youngsters in, but I believe we'll be a lot stronger a group in the second half of the season.''

The point wasn't enough for seventh-placed Thistle to secure their place in the top six before the winter break, despite wins over Ross County and Dundee having propelled them up the table.

The draw left the Jags only two points better off than 10th-placed Kilmarnock in the table and Thistle boss Alan Archibald expects it to be nip and tuck all the way.

He said: There's not a lot in it. You see the way Kilmarnock performed against us after that bad result the other night (a 4-0 loss at Hearts) and that will probably continue.

It's important we get a bit of recovery and we are ready to go after the break.''