2008-10-29: Kilmarnock 1-3 Celtic, League Cup

Match Pictures | Matches: 2008 – 2009 | 2008-2009 Pictures

Trivia

  • Donati started for the first time in a while
  • Naka came off injured and was hobbling after the game.
  • 3rd goal was a superb 7-8 passing move for McGeady to slot into the back of the net.

Review

Easy comfortable win in cold conditions. Enjoyable game also, with 3 very good goals in this game (admittedly one of which was Killie's) and a good headed goal by Skippy.

Teams

Kilmarnock:
Combe, Murray, Hamill, Lilley, Wright (Skelton 33), Bryson, Fowler, Pascali, Fernandez, Invincibile (Sammon 84), Taouil (Simmonds 84).
Subs Not Used: Rascle, Gibson.
Booked: Fowler, Pascali, Lilley, Skelton.
Goals: Invincibile 68.

Celtic:-
Boruc,
Hinkel, Wilson, O'Dea, Caldwell,
Scott Brown, Donati, Nakamura (Hartley 46), McGeady,
McDonald (Sheridan 76), Maloney.
Subs Not Used:- Mark Brown, Robson, McCourt.
Booked:- Nakamura, Wilson.
Goals:- McDonald 11, Nakamura 45, McGeady 71.

Att:- 6,319
Ref:- C Thomson.

Articles

Pictures

KStreet

Articles

Kilmarnock manger Jim Jefferies "You can't go making it that easy against Celtic, we only got in about them in the last 15 minutes of the first half.

"We gifted a goal to the smallest man in the box, and didn't learn as he nearly scored another.

"There were too many fancy triangles played instead of getting the ball in the box early and putting them under pressure, because we were starting to win those kinds of balls and that's how we got our goal." Celtic manager Gordon Strachan "It was good cup tie, quite physical, and I thought we terrific.

"We kept our focus and played some terrific football against a Kilmarnock side who were determined to win.

"I think their guys are a bit unfortunate that they've got the best surface, which suited us as we were able to produce some great football. "If we keep playing like that I'll be happy."

MOTM v Killie Aiden McGeady

Stats

KILMARNOCK V CELTIC
Possession

45% 55%

Shots on target

2 14

Shots off target

6 5

Corners

4 7

Fouls

27 17

Soccer: Nakamura scores as Celtic reach Scottish League Cup semis

30 October 2008

Provided by: Kyodo News

KILMARNOCK, Scotland, Oct. 30 — Celtic midfielder Shunsuke Nakamura scored in the dying minutes of the first half with a trademark free kick in a 3-1 away win against Kilmarnock in the Scottish League Cup quarterfinals Wednesday.
Nakamura pushed Celtic's lead to 2-0 with a shot from about 20 meters shortly after receiving a yellow card for arguing with the referee for not warning Kilmarnock players about their tackling.
''I went to the far side of the goal after looking at their goalkeeper and defenders. I'm pleased I made it and contributed to the win,'' Nakamura said.
But he expressed anger about the referee, saying, ''A referee is supposed to protect players, but he hasn't done that.''
Nakamura did not return after the break due to an injury to his left leg.
==Kyodo
(c) 2008 Kyodo News
Kyodo News

Celtic get unwanted kicks in victory;Match report;Football

30 October 2008
Times

Provided by:

Kilmarnock 1
Celtic 3
Rarely can a match have had such a fitting sponsor. Celtic swept into the last four of the Co-operative Insurance Cup last night, but Gordon Strachan had to remove Shunsuke Nakamura from the ugliness around him at Rugby Park as the ultimate insurance policy for the Champions League game with Manchester United.
The Celtic manager feared that the little Japan midfield player was in danger of severe damage in a feisty quarter-final tie and took him off at half-time after Nakamura had given the visiting team a 2-0 lead. Although Danny Invincibile reduced the deficit in the second half, Aiden McGeady swiftly restored that advantage with a sublime finish.
The semi-final draw will be on November 12 and the ties will be played on January 27 and 28, with Celtic being joined by Rangers, Dundee United and Falkirk.
The acres of empty seating around Rugby Park betrayed the live screening of this tie on terrestrial television and underlined the stupidity of the police in demanding that the game be all-ticket. You could not have given them away in the freezing Ayrshire town.
Alan Combe's Kilmarnock net did not remain empty for too long. The hunger of a reshaped Celtic side – offering rare starts for Darren O'Dea and Massimo Donati – saw them lay siege to their hosts and the breakthrough came after 11 minutes.
Shaun Maloney's initial corner was repelled by Invincibile, slicing behind, but the next delivery from Maloney picked out Scott McDonald, lurking eight yards out, and the Celtic striker steered a header beyond Combe.
Kilmarnock tried to respond, with David Fernandez's movement causing some real problems for his former club, but Jim Jefferies' team could have gone further behind in the eighteenth minute were it not for Combe's alertness. A clever move between Nakamura and McGeady saw the latter unleash a fierce shot that Combe superbly pushed wide.
Incessant Celtic attacks saw McDonald go close with another header, then Shaun Maloney curled a free kick wide from 35 yards after Manuel Pascali – who had already been booked – brought down Mark Wilson.
The only real threat in the first half for Kilmarnock was supplied by Invincibile, who gathered a fine pass from Fernandez and saw his shot from the edge of the box fly narrowly wide of a post.
Kilmarnock lost Frazer Wright, their centre back, to an injury and his replacement, Gavin Skelton appeared to have been sent on with a mission to aggravate Nakamura. The Japanese endured several heavy challenges from Skelton before Craig Bryson also scythed him down from behind, sparking a mass confrontation.
However, skill is the best form of revenge and Nakamura took his pain out on the home side by putting Celtic 2-0 up in the 45th minute. A foul by Grant Murray on McDonald allowed Nakamura to measure a free kick from 20 yards, which he bent around the wall with his left foot and beyond Combe's flying dive.
Not surprisingly, Gordon Strachan withdrew Nakamura for the second half, in order to protect his playmaker with next week's European game clearly in mind.
The replacement, Paul Hartley, is no shrinking violet and the Scotland player added some bite to the Celtic game and also contributed a raking shot that just went past a post.
The influence of Hartley was evident as Celtic won a greater share of tackles, and it also allowed Donati and Brown better freedom to roam and link with McGeady and Maloney.
However, Kilmarnock's festering dark side grew when David Lilley was booked for a crude tackle that cut down McDonald from behind. Jefferies' team needed to focus on football and they finally succeeded in doing so in the 68th minute when they halved the deficit. Skelton delivered a deep free kick from the halfway line that found the leap of Pascali at the back post and the Italian's knockdown across the face of goal was seized on by Invincibile, who stabbed his shot in from four yards.
However, it took Celtic just two minutes to fashion a response. Their next attack saw McDonald's movement open up Kilmarnock, threading a pass to Brown, who eschewed a shot and unselfisly set up McGeady. The Ireland player showed immense composure to draw Combe and clip a shot over the goalkeeper.
Mehdi Taouil might have swiftly retaliated with another goal but his free kick from 20 yards was pushed over the bar by Artur Boruc.
Kilmarnock (4-4-2): A Combe – J Fowler, D Lilley, F Wright (sub: G Skelton, 34min), G Murray – M Taouil (sub: D Simmonds, 84), M Pascali, J Hamill, C Bryson – D Fernandez, D Invincibile (sub: C Sammon, 84). Substitutes not used: W Gibson, D Rascle. Booked: Skelton, Fowler, Lilley, Bryson, Pascali.
Celtic (4-4-2): A Boruc – A Hinkel, G Caldwell, D O'Dea, M Wilson – S Nakamura (sub: P Hartley, 46), S Brown, M Donati, A McGeady – S Maloney, S McDonald (sub: C Sheridan, 76). Substitutes not used: B Robson, P McCourt, M Brown. Booked: Wilson, Nakamura.
Referee: C Thomson.
(c) Times Newspapers Ltd, 2008
(c) 2008 Times Newspapers Limited. All rights reserved
The Times

Kilmarnock 1-3 Celtic

By David McDaid

BBC

Celtic eased into the semi-finals of the Co-operative Insurance Cup with a comfortable win away to Kilmarnock.

Scott McDonald put Celtic 1-0 up with a 10th-minute header before Shunsuke Nakamura doubled their lead at half-time with a pinpoint free-kick.

Danny Invincible gave the home side some hope as he pegged one back from close range with 30 minutes remaining.

But Aiden McGeady replied almost immediately from 12 yards after being put through by Scott Brown.

Despite not having beaten Celtic on their home patch since 2001, the home side showed no signs of trepidation, starting brightly.

Mehdi Taouil had the home fans appealing for a penalty after barely a minute, but the Moroccan's grin revealed he had simply stumbled.

After the encouraging opening spell, Kilmarnock manager Jim Jefferies will be disappointed with his defence as Celtic took the lead with the first effort on goal from either side after 10 minutes.

Shaun Maloney whipped in a corner and one of the shortest players on the pitch, McDonald, lost his marker to head the visitors in front.

MY SPORT: DEBATE
Good Celtic performance tonight and fine victory in what I anticipated as being a tough game with so many injuries

Davidno7-'Feeling champion'

Alan Combe reacted well to tip the ball away when McGeady flashed a shot across goal after playing a neat one-two with Nakamura.

And the Maloney-McDonald corner routine almost paid dividends again when the Australian nodded just wide from a similar position on 26 minutes.

As Kilmarnock tried to get a foothold in the match, both James Fowler and Manuel Pascali were booked for challenges on McGeady.

Killie forward Invincible was wide of the mark with a curling shot, but he failed to see Taouil, who was unmarked to his right.

Nakamura was booked for complaining to the referee following a tussle with Craig Bryson before the Japanese doubled Celtic's lead from a fizzing trademark free-kick from 25 yards in first-half stoppage time.

The visitors pressed after the re-start and, within minutes, Paul Hartley, who had replaced Namakura, was inches off target with a low drive.

Kilmarnock needed desperately to score but found it difficult to fashion chances as Celtic controlled the match comfortably.

But Invincible did pull a goal back on 67 minutes, when Pascali headed Taouil's deep free-kick across the six yard box, where the Australian slid in to score.

And, just as the match looked set for a grandstand finale, Brown drove forward and slipped the ball to McGeady, who steered it past Combe to cement Gordon Strachan's side's passage to the semi-finals.

Kilmarnock manger Jim Jefferies

"You can't go making it that easy against Celtic, we only got in about them in the last 15 minutes of the first half.

"We gifted a goal to the smallest man in the box, and didn't learn as he nearly scored another.

"There were too many fancy triangles played instead of getting the ball in the box early and putting them under pressure, because we were starting to win those kinds of balls and that's how we got our goal."

Celtic manager Gordon Strachan

"It was a good cup tie, quite physical, and I thought we were terrific.

"We kept our focus and played some terrific football against a Kilmarnock side who were determined to win.

"I think their guys are a bit unfortunate that they've got the best surface, which suited us as we were able to produce some great football.

"If we keep playing like that I'll be happy."

Kilmarnock: Combe, Murray, Hamill, Lilley, Wright (Skelton 33), Bryson, Fowler, Pascali, Fernandez, Invincibile (Sammon 84), Taouil (Simmonds 84).
Subs Not Used: Rascle, Gibson.

Booked: Fowler, Pascali, Lilley, Skelton.

Goals: Invincibile 68.

Celtic: Boruc, Hinkel, Wilson, O'Dea, Caldwell, Scott Brown, Donati, Nakamura (Hartley 46), McGeady, McDonald (Sheridan 76), Maloney.
Subs Not Used: Mark Brown, Robson, McCourt.

Booked: Nakamura, Wilson.

Goals: McDonald 11, Nakamura 45, McGeady 71.

Att: 6,319

Ref: C Thomson.