STEVE Clarke, the Kilmarnock manager, last night revealed he was concerned for his players’ safety when Celtic supporters invaded the pitch at the end of the Ladbrokes Premiership game at Rugby Park yesterday.

Several fans of the Parkhead club ran onto the playing surface to celebrate a last-minute winner by Scott Brown that sent them eight points clear of their Glasgow rivals Rangers at the top of the table.

READ MORE: How the Kilmarnock players rated against Celtic

Stephen O’Donnell, the Scotland right back, was confronted by one of them and his manager Clarke later confessed he had been worried about the wellbeing of his charges. “I think you are always concerned when fans come on the pitch like that,” he said.

Smoke cannisters and flares were set off by Celtic supporters during the game, Kilmarnock substitute Kris Boyd was hit by missile as he warmed up and seats in both the Chadwick and Moffat Stands were vandalised.

Brendan Rodgers, the Celtic manager, condemned the misconduct of a minority of the Scottish champion’s fans. “Any behaviour like that is not acceptable at all,” he said. “I think we would all reinforce that.

“Obviously whenever we score you’re celebrating with the bench and stuff and when I looked around there was a bit of a melee going on.

“Supporters had come on to the pitch, which we don’t want to see. I understand the emotion of it all. But I didn’t see so much of it. I had to reorganise very quickly because we were down to 10 men.”

However, Rodgers stressed he had no issues with the actions of Brown, who was shown a second yellow card and then sent off by referee Bobby Madden for jumping over an advertising hoarding and into the crowd after his late strike, and described his punishment as “harsh”.

“There is no blame,” he said. “I can’t blame him, I thought he was excellent in the game. He had good control. He had a challenge early on that he was booked for, but I thought he was excellent.

READ MORE: How the Celtic players rated against Kilmarnock

“It’s very hard for Scott or any other player, especially when you score late on. We don’t get so many late goals now, we normally have a comfort in the game, but to get a winner like that, so late, you want to go with your team-mates to your supporters so to then get sent-off for it is always harsh.

“I always think it’s unfortunate for players. Of course there’s the reaction from him going to the crowd. But with it being at the end of the game and the emotion of it I always think it’s harsh for a player to get sent off.”

Rodgers added: “It was a great win for us. I thought we played well. It’s never an easy place to come and you’re never going to create a load of chances because of the speed of the surface and everything else. But also because Kilmarnock are super organised and make it tough for you. It’s as good as we’ve played in my time coming here. It was a very good performance.

Asked about the fact the win had sent Celtic eight points clear of Rangers at the top of the Premiership, Rodgers said: “I think it’s one where it just adds to our points total. Everyone talks about, when rivals slip up and draw, as Aberdeen and Rangers did, but you’ve still got to exploit that. Obviously to come here, a very difficult place on the back of a really tough midweek game, just keeps our domestic form going to a really high level. I thought we played well and had good control.

“Then at the end we had to deal with a lot of balls in behind, they’ve got good pace with the two boys up front and you’ve got to deal with that. Also the bounce on the surface. Defensively, though, we were really strong. It’s another clean sheet and with the ball we had good control.”

Celtic, who were beaten 2-0 by Valencia in a Europa League last 32 game at Parkhead on Thursday night, have now not conceded a goal in a domestic fixture in 2019. Rodgers said: “I thought our concentration was very good considering everything that went into Thursday night. These games are very taxing mentally because you have to stay concentrated.”

Clarke added: “In in sort of backhanded way, the celebrations that were probably a little bit over the top, were big compliment to Kilmarnock, that Celtic come here and celebrate a victory like that. So we will take it as a backhanded compliment

“I thought we played well, certainly didn’t deserve the cruel break at the end. Obviously when you go down to 10 men it is more difficult but even at 10 men I couldn’t see Celtic scoring. It took a big deflection off Alex (substitute Bruce) to get the goal. Like I said we didn’t deserve that. The shot from Brown was going over the bar.”

Brown was booked for a foul on Greg Taylor in the first-half that many Kilmarnock supporters - as well as their keeper Daniel Bachmann - felt merited a red card. Asked if thought the Celtic captain could have been ordered off, Clarke responded: “I don’t know, I’m not the referee.”