Celtic see off dogged Kilmarnock to return to Premiership summit
Scottish Premiership: Kilmarnock 0 Celtic 2 (McGregor 45+4, Kuhn 71)
Callum McGregor and Nicolas Kuhn continued their goalscoring form to ensure Celtic emerged from a difficult test at Kilmarnock with three points and top spot in the Scottish Premiership.
McGregor’s cross drifted into the net in first-half stoppage-time and Kuhn sealed a 2-0 victory at Rugby Park when he finished from a tight angle in the 71st minute. It was the Celtic captain’s fifth of the season and Kuhn’s 10th.
Marley Watkins hit the post for Kilmarnock with the game goalless and Celtic goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel had one his busier days of league action. The home team managed 18 shots at goal, six of them on target and another six blocked.
A pre-match Remembrance Sunday silence was cut short by referee Nick Walsh as a number of Celtic fans sung a song about the death of Aidan McAnespie, who was shot by a British soldier at an army checkpoint in County Tyrone in 1988.
Supporters had already raised a series of banners which read: “From Balfour to Starmer, the crimes of the empire live on, Britain is committing genocide in Gaza.”
Celtic lost twice at Rugby Park last season before clinching the title at the same venue with a 5-0 win.
There was a clear indication of how difficult Brendan Rodgers viewed the challenge when he named a team that had only two changes from the side that beat RB Leipzig on Tuesday with Irish duo Adam Idah and Liam Scales starting.
Derek McInnes was forced into two changes as Stuart Findlay and Danny Armstrong dropped out. Liam Donnelly and Joe Wright came in.
Celtic’s wingers made some positive runs in the opening stages but it soon became clear that the visitors would face a tough test and Schmeichel made the first of many saves when he pushed away Corrie Ndaba’s long-range drive.
There were plenty of opportunities at both ends. David Watson and Watkins were off target for the hosts and Kyle Vassell was twice denied.
The hosts came closest when Matty Kennedy’s one-touch through ball set up Watkins, who looked like he had done everything right as he dinked the ball over Schmeichel, only to see it bound off the post.
Idah could not get hold of shots from two decent chances and Robby McCrorie made an excellent fingertip save from McGregor’s long-range strike.
The breakthrough came when the Celtic captain tried to find Idah with a teasing lofted ball four minutes into stoppage-time. The ball was just out of reach of the striker’s outstretched boot but nestled in the far corner of the net.
Innes Cameron replaced Vassell and was quickly involved as Schmeichel saved from the substitute and Brad Lyons before Ndaba headed wide, all in the opening four minutes of the half.
Killie kept the pressure on but Kuhn was proving a threat on the break and he was denied by Wright’s last-ditch challenge and a brilliant stop from McCrorie.
Schmeichel was soon back in action to deny Cameron and then Kennedy with a brilliant one-handed stop after the winger had waltzed into the box.
The clincher came following a lofted ball down the wing by Alistair Johnston. Kuhn’s pace took him away from two opponents and, with two against two in the middle, the wide player had the chance to head towards goal, placing the ball just inside the far post.
Killie kept plugging away but it was Celtic who came closest to a late goal when McCrorie saved well from substitute Kyogo Furuhashi.
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