St Johnstone caretaker boss Alex Cleland hails goal hero Nicky Clark, as Craig Levein emerges as possible new manager contender

St Johnstone’s season has lift-off after comeback striker Nicky Clark’s double earned the Perth club a precious Premiership victory.

Caretaker manager, Alex Cleland, will likely pass the baton on to a permanent successor for Steven MacLean by the time Saints play next against Motherwell.

Craig Levein was in McDiarmid Park’s Main Stand for the Killie match and could be a contender to return to the dugout as chief executive, Stan Harris, compiles a shortlist.

The good news for Harris is that the manager’s job will now seem a lot more appealing, with Saints only three points off second bottom and a spark having been found up front.

Cleland heaped praise on Clark, who scored his first goals in almost exactly a year, saying: “Nicky over his career, the clubs he’s been at, gets goals.

“He’s a threat in the box and has good hold up play. We knew once we got him and Kano fit then we’d have good options.

“We also have other options in Stevie May, Jephcott and DJ.”

Dressing-room character

On the performance as a whole in the 2-1 win, Cleland said: “You’ve seen what we can produce.

“We knew as coaches with Steven and Liam (Craig) it was about getting the first win.

“There is character in the dressing-room and we showed it tonight.

“I said before the game there are good players here.

“League position never lies but we have good players, there’s a great squad in there.

“Getting the win was massive.

“I was asked to take it for a game and we got a response.

“It was a huge effort from everyone and it was so important to get three points.

“We got off to a great start. Nicky’s two goals were brilliant and gave the place a lift.

“You could see the confidence coming back after that.

“We are delighted. We had to dig deep in the end against a good Kilmarnock side.

“They pegged us back and we had to hang on at the end, but we defended well and got the three points.”

Cleland had no complaints with the decision – after VAR review – to send off Dara Costelloe with over 15 minutes left in the contest.

“Dara is gutted,” he said. “That’s the first red he’s had. It was a badly timed tackle and once it went to VAR we knew it would get upgraded.”