Scottish Premiership
Wednesday, January 22, 2020
Rugby Park

CELTIC…3
(Edouard 24, Griffiths 50, Jullien 73)

KILMARNOCK…1
(Kabamba 66)

CELTIC resumed their league duties with a dominant 3-1 win against Kilmarnock at Rugby Park. The champions maintained their lead at the top of the Scottish Premiership in the first league game back after the winter break.

Odsonne Edouard put Celtic ahead in the first half before Leigh Griffiths doubled the lead early in the second half. Kabamba grabbed one back for Kilmarnock but Christopher Jullien restored the Hoops’ two goal lead with a header.

The game started with a frantic tempo and Celtic were the more aggressive of the two sides going forward, troubling Kilmarnock with a series of close chances within the first 10 minutes.

Leigh Griffiths was in a wonderful position just a few minutes after kick-off when he rounded his marker on the edge of the penalty area but the Hoops forward slipped just as he was teeing up an attempt at goal.

Minutes later Jozo Simunovic rose high to meet Griffiths’ corner, directing the ball towards the top corner but Jan Koprivec pulled off an excellent save to deny the Croatian a goal.

Edouard passed up a golden opportunity when he said footed his shot wide after the ball fell to him inside the box.

The home side managed to give Celtic a scare from a set-piece which was whipped in towards the near post but, somehow, Nicke Kabamba failed to tumble the ball over the line from two-yards out.

Callum McGregor was behind Celtic’s best chance of the first half which he uncharacteristically wasted. The midfielder burst into the box and had the ball slipped to his feet by Edouard but, after dribbling away from two opposition challenges he passed his shot just wide of the post.

Unfortunate not to have a comfortable lead, Celtic continued to pressure the home side in attack and the breakthrough came midway through the first half with Edouard bagging his 17th goal of the season.

Frimpong zipped a cross to Edouard’s feet inside the box and, with his back to goal, the Frenchman turned away from a challenge and slid the ball between the keeper’s legs.

Celtic maintained the pressure on Kilmarnock in search of a second before the break. Kilmarnock meanwhile could only really threaten from set-pieces. The closest they came was when Chris Burke found Alex Bruce with a cross, however the Kilmarnock defender’s header went over the crossbar.

Celtic came out for the second half with the same kind of intensity that they had shown in the first and it wasn’t long before they broke down the Killie defence to increase their lead.

The second goal game from a quick break and ended with McGregor feeding the ball out to Griffiths. The Hoops striker took a touch and drilled a left-footed shot beyond the keeper at the near post.

From there the champions went in search of a third and they prized open the opposition defence with some well worked attacks. One such chance was sparked by an excellent through ball from Olivier Ntcham which played Edouard through. He showed impressive strength to hold off Stuart Findlay on his way into the box but the keeper rushed off his line to close down what was already a tight angle.

McGregor and Ntcham worked well together in taking turns to surge forward in support of the two Celtic strikers. They nearly created a goal on the edge of the area when McGregor slipped the ball to the French midfielder but his powerfully struck shot was narrowly off target.

Kilmarnock snatched a goal back when a hopeful shot from Alan Power took a deflection towards Kabamba who reacted quickly to head beyond Fraser Forster.

Celtic’s dominance on the game never wavered, despite losing a goal, and they went about extending their lead further with productive attacking football.

The third goal for the champions came from a set-piece. Griffiths delivered a great cross from a corner and Jullien timed his jump to perfection, allowing him to head in.

Neil Lennon freshened things up in attack when he brought Mikey Johnston on for Griffiths with 10 minutes remaining. The young winger almost made an instant impact with a mazy run through the middle of the Kilmarnock defence but his side-footed shot flashed just wide of the post.

CELTIC: Forster; Simunovic, Jullien, Ajer; Frimpong (Bauer 88), Hayes, Brown, Ntcham, McGregor; Griffiths (Johnston 80), Edouard (Bayo 90)
Subs: Gordon, Taylor, Klimala, Arzani,

KILMARNOCK: Koprivec, O'Donnell, Bruce (Del Fabro 76), Findlay, Hamalainen, Power, Dicker, El Makrini (Brophy 63), Burke, Bunn (Kiltie 77), Kabamba
Subs: Branescu, Johnson, Wilson, St Clair

Website Man of the Match: Leigh Griffiths

Celtic maintain lead at the top after easing past Kilmarnock