IF Mike McCurry wasn’t on Kilmarnock’s Christmas card list
before the game, he can forget about getting on it now.
The hopes of a shock result at Rugby Park yesterday which had been
fanned by a thrilling first half in which Kilmarnock twice took the lead
were ultimately extinguished by the referee’s decision to send David
Lilley off for deliberate handball on the stroke of half-time, deeming
that the former Partick full-back had prevented Chris Sutton a clear
goalscoring opportunity with an injudicious swing of his left arm.
Whether the hosts’ claims that the Englishman had instigated the
problems with a nudge had any merit or not, the decision had disturbed
the game’s pleasing equilibrium and shifted momentum inexorably in
Celtic’s favour even before Alan Thompson lashed in the resultant
free-kick to give his side a half-time lead.
Having enraged even Billy Brown, the mild-mannered Kilmarnock
assistant manager, by controversially disallowing a goal when Celtic won
last season’s SPL title here on their
previous visit in April, McCurry may be lucky if he is afforded use
of the club’s facilities on his next visit.
Significantly, perhaps, both managers accepted the decision, and even
Lilley was starting to backpedal slightly about the whole incident. “I
thought I felt a wee push on me but I think I was maybe a bit naive,”
Lilley said. “At 2-2 we were right in the game and I would even say we
were on top. I told the lads I had to hold my hands up.” It was an
unfortunate turn of phrase.
As it was, two goals apiece from Thompson and John Hartson, as he
completed his first 90 minutes since February due to a back problem,
afforded Celtic leeway at the top of the Premier League table after just
two weeks of the season, but there was certainly no seismic gap between
the teams yesterday. Led by the zeal of Kris Boyd and Rhian Dodds – and
first-half goals by McDonald and Gary Wales – Kilmarnock deserved their
manager’s description of “absolutely
brilliant”.
After last week’s
victory against
Hibs at Easter Road, Jefferies had conviction when he insisted his
side “might be worth watching this season”.
The gusto of the hosts’ performance was all the more remarkable
considering they had been deprived of Danny Invincibile, Colin Nish,
Craig Dargo, Paul di Giacomo and even new recruit Allan Johnston due to
injury, but those who remained certainly started the game without any
inferiority complex.
Before the game was three minutes old, McDonald had missed his kick
from close range after Garry Hay’s long pass and Boyd’s cut-back. Then
Dodds played Boyd in with a neat chip, only for David Marshall to defy
him with his legs. It was far from the Scotland call-up’s only
intervention. Before long, he was forced to tip Stevie Murray’s header
on to the roof of the net after even the pintsized Scotland under-21
winger was permitted free space in the penalty area.
Killie took the lead from the corner after 14 minutes, Gary
McDonald arriving to head home Gary Locke's cross.
But it took Celtic just seconds to be back on level terms, Hartson
latching on to Jackie McNamara's long ball before holding off Lilley and
sliding a right-foot shot in off the upright.
Hartson shot straight at Combe from six yards as Celtic threatened to
take the lead against the run of play.
A Murray header set up McDonald inside the Celtic box, but the
midfielder mis-hit his shot and the ball was cleared.
Gary Wales restored the lead after 28 minutes, a Dodds
shot was pushed out by Marshall into the path of the former Hearts
striker, who knocked the ball home.
Chris Sutton picked out Thompson with a fine ball and he took the
ball past the committed Combe and stroked home the equaliser.
It got worse for Killie when Lilley prevented a Hartson through ball
reaching Sutton with his hand on the edge of the box.
Lilley was shown the red card and Thompson fired home the free kick
to send Celtic into the break relieved to be in front.
Celtic made sure of the three points with 19 minutes remaining when
Hartson rose to head home Thompson's free-kick.
Kilmarnock: Combe, Fowler, Lilley
, Dindeleux, Hay,
(Dillon 60 mins), McDonald, Dodds, Locke, Murray, (Greer
,
45mins) Boyd, Wales, (Naismith 75 mins).
Subs: Smith, Leven, Canning,
Attendance: 10,526
