Ceptic stretched their lead over Rangers at the top of the Bank of
Scotland Premier League to 14 points with an unconvincing 5-1 victory
over Kilmarnock.
An uninspired Hoops' side had to wait until the 55th minute to open
the scoring through Didier Agathe.
Making his debut for Kilmarnock was defender
Lilley, the £30,000 signing from Partick Thistle, who admitted that he
moved in order to spare himself the trauma of relegation. It is to be
hoped that self-preservation is not the only factor in his
decision-making, otherwise the full-back could find himself in search of
another club soon.
It would require a quite catastrophic collapse for Kilmarnock to go
down, but already they are sliding, and the 12 points by which they are
clear of the SPL’s bottom club disguises their deepening distress.
That, as well as injuries to Alan Mahood and Craig Dargo, prompted the
Kilmarnock manager to plump for an unusual, if not exactly adventurous,
team. With four at the back, five in midfield and only Eric Skora, the
Frenchman on loan from Preston North End, pushing forward to support
Gary McSwegan, there was no mistaking the visitors’ apprehension.
John Hartson struck twice - either side of a Henrik Larsson goal
before Stephen Pearson scored his first goal at Parkhead for a
scoreline which flattered the SPL leaders.
Eric Skora gave Kilmarnock a much deserved consolation six minutes
from time to end the game at 5-1.
Killie striker Gary McSwegan had a good early chance to hit the
target.
The ball fell kindly for the forward in the area but he screwed his
right-foot effort well wide after four minutes.
At the other end, Francois Dubourdeau kept the visitors on level
terms in the eighth minute.
Larsson latched on to Chris Sutton's through-ball and hit a
first-time shot which the goalkeeper turned round the post.
Kilmarnock continued to look threatening on the break and Rob Douglas
needed to be alert to save Danny Invincibile's low long-range effort in
the 12th minute.
The home side were desperately in need of some inspiration but
finally came to life in the 24th minute.
Agathe was being pushed back but he curled an inviting cross into the
box for Pearson to head just over.
Sutton then got on the end of Pearson's cross and his header took a
deflection off Garry Hay before bouncing down off the underside of the
bar.
Celtic were stretched at the other end in the 25th minute but
McSwegan failed to pick out the waiting Invincibile.
John Kennedy needlessly gave the ball away in the 33rd minute but,
fortunately for the young defender, Jackie McNamara made up the ground
to tackle McSwegan after he had ran onto Skora's through-ball.
Celtic responded by forcing two corners but Hay deflected Agathe's
shot behind and then Stilian Petrov fired over twice.
But the tension was lifted in the 55th minute when Agathe put the
home side ahead with their first moment of real quality.
The wing-back played a neat one-two with Hartson inside the area and
then thundered an unstoppable right-foot shot between Dubourdeau and his
post.
But Kennedy did his best to unsettle the home crowd again with a poor
header straight to McSwegan but the Kilmarnock man shot straight at
Douglas.
Celtic needed another goal and Hartson went close when he headed
McNamara's cross just wide.
But the Welshman did get his name on the scoresheet in the 65th
minute to put the game out of Kilmarnock's reach.
Agathe again did well to cross from the by-line and Hartson stretched
to head past Dubourdeau from close range.
Larsson twisted the knife with the third in the 75th minute
after he
latched onto Hartson's pass and watched his deflected shot looped over
Dubourdeau.
Kilmarnock's demise quickly worsened when Pearson fired under the
goalkeeper for his first Celtic goal at Parkhead.
Eric Skora gave the visitors a much deserved consolation
in the 84th minute with a clever chip over Douglas from the edge of the
box.
Hartson claimed his second of the game in the dying minutes when he
stopped to head Petrov's cross into the back of the net from close
range.
Kilmarnock became only the fourth SPL team to score even a
consolation in Celtic’s cauldron this season.
Team : Dubourdeau, Lilley. McLaughlin, Skora, Greer, Hay,
Locke, McDonald, Invincibile, (Fowler 85 mins), McSwegan
(Boyd 71 mins), Hardie.
Sub's: Meldrum, Nish, & Dodds
Attendance: 59,132
Cards: None
