1995-03-21: Kilmarnock 0-1 Celtic. Premier Division.

JUST when they seemed destined for draw number 17 in the league,Celticsnatched the goal that hoisted them into third place in the premier division and settled a match that was maybe too keenly contested to make it worth the admission money.
Andy Walker, who came on in the second half for Willie Falconer, found the key to goal with a diving header four minutes from the end at a time whenCeltic, admittedly, were giving theKilmarnockdefence their hardest period of the evening.
There had been little in it overall, however, and had Walker's effort not gone in, no-one could have denied Killie their right to some reward.Celtichad good players in Rudi Vata and Paul McStay, whileKilmarnock'swilling workers gave their all, as ever.

Proving yet again that football fans have long memories, the Killie support made sure that Pierre van Hooydonk was reminded of their distaste for what they perceived to be a "dive" that produced a penalty the last time the two sides met in the league at Hampden.Every time the Dutchman touched the ball he was soundly booed. It didn't disturb the striker too much, however, as he demonstrated early in the first half when he cleverly touched on an Phil O'Donnell pass to Brian McLaughlin, who broke clear of the Ayrshire defence and raced 40 yards towards goal.
TheCelticwinger then manoeuvred around the keeper, Dragutin Lekovic, but went too far wide and had to field the ball to McStay.
He was stopped in his tracks by two Killie men but his claims for a penalty were ignored. Eventually, John Collins tried a shot which the keeper saved.
That was a little cameo of the madcap pace at which both teams were going about their business, exhilarating, but a bit too frantic.
Steve Maskrey had nearly snatched a goal earlier when he nipped in on a pass from Tom Brown but Pat Bonner was able to save comfortably. In fact, after their rejigged back four, with Tommy Boyd alongside Tony Mowbray at its heart and Vata at right back, settled, the Parkhead side took control for a lengthy spell.
Mowbray might feel he could have done better with a free header from a Tosh McKinlay corner, although Lekovic saved well, and van Hooydonk was not all that far away with a bending free kick which hit the side net.
Kilmarnockcame back as willingly as ever and Bonner just pipped Ally Mitchell to a dangerous cross from Tom Black.
Derek Anderson was the second man to be booked — Boyd had been first after fouling Maskrey when he flattened Collins — but, as the pace continued at a ferocious rate, there was every chance more would follow.
Van Hooydonk suffered even greater fury from the home support when he fouled Black on the touchline and was given a stern lecture by referee Gerry Evans after he consulted a linesman.
Vata, having his first game of the season, was held back by Robert Connor, who was booked for his indiscretion, and from Hooydonk's free-kick Falconer's header was diverted by Black for a corner. A mistake by McStay let Brown through but the striker hurried his shot and Bonner was able to collect easily enough.
Kilmarnockhad reasonable claims for at least a foul on the edge of the box, perhaps even a penalty, when Maskrey went tumbling as Vata challenged but referee Evans saw nothing wrong.
In 63 minutesCeltictried to freshen up their attack by bringing on Walker for Falconer but the new man missed a good chance soon after when he had a clear header from a Collins cross but sent it weakly into Lekovic's hands.
Mowbray was shown a yellow card after fouling Connor just before Killie put on Colin McKee for Maskrey. There was not a lot of subtlety about but Collins did bring some class to bear with a swerving shot that Lekovic stopped with some difficulty. However, it was quickly back to more macho pursuits as Neil Whitworth was booked for a foul on Walker.
AsCelticpushed hard in the late minutes, Killie sent on their new signing from Hibs, Willie Findlay, who replaced Gus McPherson. The Parkhead momentum was in full swing by now, however, and with four minutes left a McKinlay cross was headed back into goal where Walker dived to head the ball into the net.
SaidCelticmanager Tommy Burns: "It was a big game for us — three very important points. Now, we can go for second-top place.
"I thought we deserved to win because we dominated most of the play. We did exceptionally well, Andy Walker will be on a high after scoring."
Kilmarnockmanager Alex Totten's disappointment was not helped by the news that two of his players had to go for X-rays.
Mark Skilling has a broken nose and a damaged cheekbone while Tom Brown has a badly swollen foot.

CELTICseemed to take a particular delight in stealing three points from under the noses ofKilmarnockwith a goal by substitute Andy Walker three minutes from the end of an ill- tempered match at Rugby Park last night.Tosh McKinlay's deep cross to the far post was headed back across goal by Pierre van Hooijdonk, for Walker to nod the ball over the line from inside the six- yard box.
It had seemed at one stage as if a goal would never come.
If the game's ruling bodies and an independent arbitration tribunal have yet, after nine months, to priseKilmarnockandCelticapart over the question of compensation forCelticmanager Tommy Burns, 90 minutes seemed to be insufficient to separate the teams in this game.

It could have been argued that neither side deserved the accolade of winner in a game which mirrored the ill-feeling which has existed between the clubs since their summer fall-out.Celtic, however, were camped inKilmarnock'shalf of the field for such long periods it would have been unjust had they not taken the points which, temporarily at any rate, lift them above Hibs and into third place in the league.
Burns said: "We are now four points behind Motherwell, and they are our next opponents.
Qualification for the UEFA Cup has to be an attainable target."
Kilmarnock'sMark Skilling was taken to hospital after the game suffering from a broken nose and with concern being expressed over the damage done to a cheekbone.
The final meeting of the season between the clubs found the atmosphere as strained as it had been when they first came together in September.
Burns, the root cause of the tension, is able to sit in the dugout while he appeals against a touchline ban from the SFA.
He opted for a seat in the stand to begin with but it was a decoy run that lasted all of 12 minutes.
Fergus McCann was in the directors' box for the duration of the game, which was a gesture he felt unable to make onCeltic'slast visit to Rugby Park; otherwise acrimony filled the air.
It took only 15 minutes for Tommy Boyd to be booked for a crude challenge on Steve Maskrey, underlining the dislike the sides, supporters and directors had for each other.
When, occasionally, there was some fluidity to the play, it was spoiled by untidy finishing.
Brian McLaughlin, for instance, was put through on his own from the halfway line but elected to drag the ball round Dragoje Lekovic and take a detour away from goal rather than try the shot which looked a better bet.
Celtic'sfirst-half ascendancy was well established, however, when Pierre van Hooijdonk hit the side netting with a curling free kick.
The foul was conceded after a block on John Collins by Derek Anderson and when the same defender tripped theCelticman later on, he balanced the bookings at the same time.
Van Hooijdonk is the one theKilmarnocksupporters dislike most of all. They allege he dived in the penalty area whenCelticwon the previous league meeting of the clubs with a last- minute penalty kick.
When the referee, after consultation with his linesman, refused to caution van Hooijdonk after a collision with Tom Black, there was uproar. It was that kind of evening.
Robert Connor's booking, six minutes into a second half that was as tempestuous as the first had been, was for pulling back Rudi Vata by his jersey. It seemed an innocuous offence when compared with the rest of a spiteful game.
The only reason the match was still goalless at that stage wasCeltic'stotal inability to translate their superiority into goals. It was a shortcoming which Tom Brown almost took advantage of when he set off on a run which gave him a clear look at Pat Bonner's goal.
The Irishman was alert to the effort but the final half-hour looked like being more unpredictable andCelticreplaced Willie Falconer with Walker as they sought to ensure their work had not been in vain.
The belated bookings ofCeltic'sTony Mowbray and Neil Whitworth, fromKilmarnock, were the fourth and fifth cautions of an untidy night.