Tic Beat Tame Killie!

(Photos by Sandy Ferguson & SNS & used with permission)

Celtic 2 Kilmarnock 0 
(SPL Match No.33 Apr 13th 2003 Parkhead) 

Killie's Parkhead misery continued, with a very tame performance. Not even their lucky "red" tops could stop the jinx. Was nice to see "Big Marsh" have such a decent game having been out for almost 2 months! It's a good job he was looking sharp or it could have been an even uglier score-line for Killie. Still this was Killie's best Glasgow result this term with a 0-3 loss at Thistle being the next "best" result up there.

Henrik Larsson put his midweek penalty misery behind him as Celtic remained on the tails of Rangers with a 2-0 victory over Kilmarnock at Parkhead. He failed to score from the spot on Thursday as Celtic were held to a 1-1 draw by Boavista in the semi-final first leg of the Uefa Cup. However  Larsson opened the scoring at Celtic Park and Stilian Petrov added a second on a day when Kilmarnock goalkeeper Gordon Marshall (below) was kept very busy.

The veteran custodian made a few good stops and the home side were guilty of squandering a number of good chances.

The visitors were on the back foot for most of the game and at no point threatened to cause an upset.

Alan Thompson fired just wide from 18 yards with a powerful right-foot shot from Larsson's pass in the eighth minute.

The midfielder again went close three minutes later when his left-foot effort from the edge of the box was pushed over the bar by Killie keeper Gordon Marshall.

But despite their lack of possession, Kilmarnock gave the home side a warning in the 14th minute when Gary McDonald fired over after good work from Peter Canero.

The home side went ahead in the 20th minute courtesy of Larsson's 38th goal of the season.

John Hartson controlled Thompson's cross-field pass and centred for the Swede to fire into the net from 17 yards with Marshall well out of his goal.

Celtic were looking to build on their advantage and Chris Innes deflected Petrov's goal-bound effort from inside the box over before Hartson flicked Thompson's cross just past the post.

Larsson was then just inches away from making it two when Marshall had parried Didier Agathe's volley into the six-yard box.

Agathe fired over from nine yards after Bobo Balde had got on the end of Petrov's corner.

Kilmarnock were hanging on and Greg Shields knocked Larsson's effort wide before Marshall made a good save from Hartson's header.

Close to the half-time break Hartson was clean through on goal but delayed his shot and Marshall saved with Larsson on his own in the centre.

Celtic were looking to kill the game off in the second period, but Marshall saved Larsson's awkward shot from Agathe's cross before the Swede fired over moments later.

The home side came close to doubling their lead when Neil Lennon played a great ball down the flank to Paul Lambert and the Scotland international crossed to Larsson, whose shot flew just past the upright.

Thompson went equally close in the 65th minute when his left-foot shot went inches past the post before Hartson blazed wide moments later.

The points were finally wrapped up in the 73rd minute when Larsson cleverly back-heeled a Lambert pass to Petrov and the young Bulgarian drilled a low shot home from the edge of the penalty area.

Joos Valgaeren could have increased Celtic's advantage three minutes later after exchanging passes with Larsson inside the box, but his shot was saved by Marshall before the striker headed the rebound over the crossbar.

There was one big moment for Kilmarnock when subsittute Kris Boyd ought to have beaten Rab Douglas from close range, but the keeper managed to block the effort with his body.

That was as close as the Ayrshire side had gone all afternoon and, from a team that had scored six last week, you would have to call that disappointing.

Understandably, they had set out to contain the home lot for a while but, when they did opt to try to cause some bother of their own early in the second half, they didn't seriously trouble Douglas until the dying minute.

Fulton did well for them in his new centre half role, while Canero coped as well as most with the acceleration of Agathe.

Kilmarnock: Marshall, Locke , Shields, Innes, Canero , Fowler, Mahood, Fulton, McLaren, (Boyd 77 min's) McSwegan , McDonald (McLaughlin 51 min's)

Subs Not Used: Stewart, Dindeleux, Hay.

Attendance: 56,966

Referee: A Freeland