Killie Beat Champs & Earn Euro Spot!
Kilmarnock
1 Celtic 0
(SPL Match 38, Rugby Park, May 20th 2001)
Alan
Mahood's late winner in the 1-0 defeat of Celtic ensured
Kilmarnock would be playing in the UEFA Cup the following season.(2001-02)
Ally McCoist though was left frustrated having been given the
opportunity to end his glittering career with a goal by
Bobby Williamson.
His best
chance came in the first half, but he spurned it and it was
left to Alan Mahood to seal a priceless victory.
Kilmarnock were charged up from the outset and only
some
fine defending by Alan Stubbs and Olivier Tebily prevented
Kilmarnock from causing Robert Douglas any problems in the
early stages.
Celtic's
team consisted of a stream of youngsters who showed some
promising touches, but again failed to give Gordon Marshall
any testing work to do.
The
Kilmarnock goalkeeper, however, had to be alert in the 17th
minute when debutant Mark Fotheringham tried his luck with a
22-yard free-kick from the left of the area, but Gordon Marshall
got down well to save.
Such was
the quality of the game it took 25 minutes for Celtic to
create the first chance of the game.
Tom
Boyd's ball over the top found Jamie Smith, who had sprung
the off-side trap, and he struck a first time shot which
flew past the outstretched hand of Marshall, but flashed
past the upright.
In
almost a carbon copy of Smith's chance, Sean Maloney lashed
the ball wide just two minutes later after getting between
Kilmarnock defenders Frederic Dindeleux and Kevin McGowne.
But the
Celtic post denied the home side the opener in the 33rd
minute when Paul di Giacomo pulled the ball back to Jesus
San Juan, whose right-foot effort crashed back off the
woodwork.
Just
three minutes later Ally McCoist's chance of glory came when Di
Giacomo threaded the ball through to him inside the box, but
he was not as sharp as he used to be and screwed the ball
wide with just the advancing Douglas to beat.
That
brought cheers instead of jeers from the Celtic supporters,
who burst into a chorus of "there's only one John Parrott"
in reference to his television career on Question of Sport.
McCoist
was almost sick as a parrot four minutes later when Tebily
found space in the box, but Marshall came rapidly off his
line to make a brave save at his feet.
Kilmarnock came out firing on all cylinders in the second
half, but McCoist
failed to end his career with a golden goal to cherish and
was replaced by Christophe Cocard just four minutes after
the interval.
But
Celtic should have broken the deadlock two minutes later
when Maloney ran across the edge of the box before squaring
to Stephane Mahe, who dragged his left-foot effort across
the face of goal.
Williamson came down from the stand to bring some more
motivation from his players, but they failed to create
anything to suggest that they could score.
The
Kilmarnock manager pressed more men forward in search of a
goal and he brought forward James Fowler on for defender Gus
MacPherson in attempt to unlock the Celtic defence.
But as
news filtered through that Hearts were 2-0 up at home to
Dundee, Kilmarnock finally made the crucial breakthrough in
the 78th minute.
Chris
Innes found Di Giacomo down the line and he shrugged off the
challenge of Tebily to cut the ball back across the face of
goal for Mahood to slide the ball into the
Celtic net.
Coisty on
getting to play Vs Celtic....."It
was tremendous news that wee Dargo had done his ankle."Then
I found out that Andy McLaren was suspended and when I came
into the ground I knew I was in with a right good chance of
starting when someone told me Eric the chef had pulled his
hamstring making a plate of minestrone.""I wanted to start
and play against Celtic for the final time and I was really
pleased to play against big Stubbsy."I can't speak highly
enough of him - he's been through everything this year and
it was nice to be out there and wish him all the best."I'd
love to see him pick up a medal on Saturday - albeit a
losers' one."
Coisty on...
Tic fans singing 'There's only one John Parrot' ....
"I've had some great crack with the Celtic fans down the
years but the John Parrot line was brilliant. It's a
blessing there's only one of him - there used to be two but
he's been on a diet."
Coisty on His
Farewell Bash......
"Wee Durranty is organising my farewell bash tonight. I'd
imagine you'll probably be reading about it soon."But I'm
looking forward to it - I think it ends a week on Tuesday."
Coisty
Reflects on his Overall Career......"Overall
I have no right to look back with regret or remorse. It has
been like being on the biggest and best rollercoaster ride
ever for 23 years. I have had the chance to live out every
schoolboy's dream."Sure, it has not been plain sailing all
the way but it's been some experience and the good times
have far outnumbered the bad
ones."The great thing is I have probably learned more from
the downs than I have from the ups."So there is no way I can
stand here and say I wish I was just starting out again. I
have thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it."
Coisty on
Killie's Season........
"It feels good. I would
have been gutted if we had failed to qualify for Europe but
for us to win 1-0 against Celtic and make it into the UEFA
Cup means I go out on the biggest high possible.
"I had it in the back of my mind that
Hearts would beat Dundee so I knew we had to win."It makes
the difference between a good season and a brilliant season
and we would have been really disappointed if we had lost
that European spot."We had a lot of pluses today. Young Paul
Di Giacomo was very good. He has a lot to learn but he has a
lot of promise.
Coisty on
Killie's Youngsters
"We also have James Fowler and Peter
Canero coming through and for them to have the opportunity
to break into the first team next season and look forward to
playing in Europe is something special. It gives them a real
opportunity to get ahead in the game."It's all down to
Bobby, Jim Clark and Gerry McCabe - it's to their eternal
credit that this club has been so successful in the last
five or six years.
Coisty on a
One Regret........."I
remember I got stick in my first year here when I said we
wouldn't be capable of winning the league. I should have
qualified that by saying that no one apart from Rangers and
Celtic will win it for the next 15 years."That won't change
and it means that for everyone else the main chance of
success is winning a cup.
"Paul Wright scored the
winner in a Scottish Cup final, we've been to a League Cup
final and we've made it into Europe four times in five
years.
That's a remarkable achievement for a club like Kilmarnock."
Coisty on His
Miss Vs Celtic.......
"I don't think there's any
doubt about it - I should have scored - but I snatched at it
because I was so keen to get a goal."But there's been a few
of them missed in the past and I would imagine there will be
a few more missed in five-a-side tournaments around the
world in years to come."
