Scottish Premiership
Tuesday, February 2, 2021
Rugby Park, Kilmarnock

KILMARNOCK… 0

CELTIC… 4
(Brown 29, Edouard 53 & 62, Ajeti 85)

Celtic put four past Kilmarnock without reply at Rugby Park tonight (Tuesday), in what was a confident performance from start to finish. After dominating possession in the opening stages, Scott Brown fired his side in front ahead of the half-hour mark from a David Turnbull corner, before Odsonne Edouard bagged a brace in the second period, and Albian Ajeti got on the scoresheet in the final five minutes.

The visitors controlled play from the outset, playing a familiar high press which forced Kilmarnock to defend deep with 10 men behind the ball. In response, the Hoops passed well all over the pitch, with crisp one-touch football as they sought to unpick the opposition backline.

Making his Celtic debut one day after joining the club on loan from Everton, Jonjoe Kenny looked a constant threat on the right flank as he paired well with Ryan Christie and sent a string of dangerous balls into the box in the opening 10 minutes.

Kilmarnock’s sole line of offence came on the counter, which required the centre-back pairing of Stephen Welsh and Kris Ajer to be fully-focused throughout. They were, and the latter often provided an extra attacking option when advancing from the Celts’ defensive third.

Despite the Hoops’ early pressure, though, it was the home side who fashioned the first half-chance of the evening, when Chris Burke got in behind the Celtic backline from a left-sided cross. Greg Taylor, however, did enough to thwart the attack against his former employer.

From there, patience was key in Celtic’s build-up play, with Christie and Turnbull forcing a handful of routine saves from Killie stopper Doyle ahead of the half-hour mark.

Despite their dominance in open play, the Hoops’ opener in fact came from a set-piece when Turnbull found the head of the advancing Scott Brown, who directed the ball into the corner of the net from 10 yards. It was no less than Neil Lennon’s men deserved and it forced the home side to step up in search of an equaliser.

In turn, Celtic continued to defend well ahead of the break, and capitalised on the gaps in the Killie backline at every opportunity, again demanding a flurry of saves from Doyle in goal.

Into the second half, and the Hoops continued to work the ball from flank to flank as they pressed high and made the most of the space as the game opened up. On 53 minutes, Albian Ajeti was brought down by Doyle to the right of goal, and Edouard stepped up to rattle the ball past the goalkeeper despite the slightest of touches.

Three minutes after that and Chris Burke forced a fine save from the feet of Bain with a back-post header. The veteran attacker claimed the ball had crossed the line, but instant replay footage showed the referee had called it correctly.

Still enjoying the lion’s share of possession, Celtic continued to press and grabbed another over the hour when Edouard poked the ball past Doyle inside the box after a sublime long ball from Turnbull just over the half-way line.

To Kilmarnock’s credit, they continued to push forward on the counter right into the closing stages, which in turn demanded a fully-concentrated Scott Bain between the sticks. The home sides advances would be in vain, though, when with five minutes of normal time remaining, Albian Ajeti latched onto a wonderfully clipped high ball from Scott Brown to slot past Doyle to the right of goal on the angle.

A confident performance from Neil Lennon’s men, and a well-deserved score-line, three points and clean sheet at a difficult venue.

KILMARNOCK: Doyle, Millen, Dikamona, Rossi, Haunstrup, Power, Dicker (Pierrick 71), Tshibola, McKenzie, Burke (Pinnock 76), Oakley (Kabamba 71)
Subs not used: Lyle, McGowan, Medley, Brindley, Dabo, Whitehall

CELTIC: Bain; Taylor (Laxalt 89), Brown, Ajeti, Turnbull (Johnston 73), Kenny, Christie (Elyounoussi 70), Edouard (Klimala 73), Ajer, McGregor, Welsh
Subs not used: Barkas, Duffy, Griffiths, Soro, Rogic

Website Man of the Match: Scott Brown

Confident Celts sweep Kilmarnock aside at Rugby Park