James Penrice has warned there is no catching Rangers if they can rediscover the levels they hit before the international break. The defender is urging his team to maintain their dominant Old Firm swagger as they look to continue their winning march.
It is now seven straight wins for Derek McInnes' team after they backed up their double derby triumph before the international break with a 3-1 win over Kilmarnock. Rangers looked to be right in the mood against Neil McCann's basement boys as they swept to a 3-0 lead at halftime.
But they were lucky not to concede more than the late consolation strike they handed Nicky Clescenco after putting on a limp second-half showing.
Penrice on replicating Old Firm intensity
Penrice, however, reckons there is no catching Gers if they can hit the heights they managed against Martin O'Neill's Hoops before the international break.
He said: "I think for us as players, we wanted the same attitude. When you play an Old Firm game, you don't really need to get yourself up for it. You're buzzing the whole week and I think it's about translating that into other games.
"On Saturday, when we came out, we tried to get going from the start. I think we still thought at half-time we could have went up a couple of more levels."
"But for us as players, it was to replicate the feeling of that same week with the two games against Celtic, knowing that if we came out here and got the fans behind us for the first five minutes, ten minutes, then we can really go put a show on. I think in the first half, we were good but I thought we could go a wee bit better."
Striking partnership impresses
Penrice helped get McInnes' men off and running against Killie as he swung in a pin-point delivery for Ryan Naderi to glance home the opening goal. The new Czech Republic cap grabbed a second just before the interval as he took his tally for the season to six.
Kevin Kelsy also bagged his second goal for the club a week after bagging his first international strike for Venezuela. And Penrice is enjoying having the giant double act leading the line up top.
"It's not too bad," he grinned. "The two of them are big boys. You don't enjoy coming up against them in training, that's for sure. When it comes to crossing, you just put it in any area and I think you can see from Saturday that Ryan's very keen on attacking absolutely everything. Kev's the same."
"I thought the two of them were really, really good. You saw with Kevin dropping deep, using his chest, using his head, he was so effective. I thought they were brilliant and Ryan doesn't stop either. He's come on leaps and bounds and looks like a player with so much confidence."
Taking it one game at a time
With that win on Saturday, Gers found themselves sitting top of the table before Celtic's clash at Fir Park. But Penrice is not getting carried away just yet.
He said: "Obviously, I don't want to say too much about what we're doing to do this season. I want to take it one game at a time. But we've got a squad in there that's littered with talent.
"I've said before we can do a lot this season and we can achieve a lot but it's about taking it one game at a time. There's no point looking too far in front."
