2011-12-24: Celtic 2-1 Kilmarnock, SPL

Match Pictures | Matches: 2011 – 2012 | 2011-2012 Pictures

Trivia

• Rangers lose 2-1 to St Mirren and have two men sent off!!! Remarkable day. So Celtic catch up to just 1pt behind.
• Celtic have now reduced the deficit from 15pts to just 1pt! (granted it was actually with two games in hand but still).
• Next game against the Huns on 28th!
• Game brought forward to 13:30 as it's Xmas eve.
• Samaras scores a double! He's been much maligned but had a great run of late.
• Kevin Wilson returns from injury, as does Izzy (stuck on bench though).

Review

(radar of KDS forum)
Well deserved 3 points on a terrible day for playing football.

I thought we were pretty poor first half, defending at least, mainly due to Kayal having a stinker and Ki being anonymous. Forrest was the only real link up with the front two.

1-0 at half time flattered us, but we totally dominated the game in the 2nd half.

Good to have Ledley back. His quality and consistency is much needed.

Thought Bangura managed a couple of decent touches today, and found Celtic players with passes. That's progress too.

Morons on the radio saying Forsters save at the end could have been a red card? On what effing planet ya arses?

Kenny Sheils fair made a *** of himself in his post match interview didn't he? 😆 Just a thought, shoudn't he know the laws of the game he's made his career? Laughable.

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Celtic 2 Kilmarnock 1: match report

Double tops: Georgios Samaras scored twice for Celtic Photo: PA

By Telegraph staff and agencies

3:43PM GMT 24 Dec 2011

A Georgios Samaras double against Kilmarnock took Celtic to within a point of Clydesdale Bank Premier League leaders Rangers ahead of Wednesday night's Old Firm game at Parkhead.

The Greece striker headed the home side into the lead in first-half added time and scored his second with a fine drive seven minutes after the break to make it eight SPL wins in a row for Neil Lennon's men.

Killie substitute Danny Racchi fired in a consolation goal with three minutes remaining but with Rangers losing at St Mirren, the Hoops now have a chance to go top of the table going into 2012.

After being 15 points behind the champions at one stage – albeit with two games in hand – the ascendancy is with Celtic who must feel they are coming to form at the right time.

While the result in Paisley was something of a shock, there was little surprise about the outcome at Celtic Park.

Kilmarnock had not won at Celtic Park in 56 years while the home side, who had Joe Ledley in for injured Daniel Majstorovic, were looking to continue their fine domestic form

The visitors could have been excused for fearing the worst but they lined up in a positive shape with Dean Shiels supporting Paul Heffernan and Gary Harkins.

Manager Kenny Shiels had made three changes with James Fowler, back from suspension, Mohamadou Sissoko and Danny Buijs coming in for Alex Pursehouse, Zdenek Kroca and James Dayton and his side impressed in an entertaining first half.

Celtic had to so some defending in the early stages although in the ninth minute Hoops midfielder James Forrest sent a speculative 30-yard drive just past Cameron Bell's left-hand post.

Moments later, in an impressive Killie move, Heffernan set up Shiels and the Irishman's low drive from 16 yards sped past Fraser Forster but also beyond the Celtic keeper's left post.

The Parkhead men had a great chance in the 14th minute when Forrest's low drive was spilled by Bell but Gary Hooper chipped the rebound over the bar, before Shiels had another effort saved by Forster at the other end.

Shiels ended another Rugby Park threat by blasting a shot over the bar from the edge of the box, more evidence that the Ayrshire men had not travelled with a point in mind.

An entertaining game began to heat up. Celtic midfielder Beram Kayal was booked for tripping Shiels before Killie skipper Manuel Pascali was yellow-carded for a late challenge on Ledley.

Celtic were making hard work of it. In the 33rd minute skipper Scott Brown had a left-footed shot easily saved by Bell, one of the few times the ball got past the resolute Killie defence.

However, all Kilmarnock's good work was undone as the game entered added time.

Celtic's tireless right-back Cha Du-ri raced to the byline and managed to send in a looping cross which was headed past Bell by Samaras and the Greece international had the cheers of the relieved home fans still ringing in his ears as he ran up the tunnel at the break.

There was a claim for a Killie penalty three minutes into the second-half when Forrest blocked Buijs's attempted cross but referee George Salmond kept his hands at his side.

Forrest was replaced by Kelvin Wilson moments later and the former Nottingham Forest defender went to centre-back alongside Victor Wanyama, with Charlie Mulgrew moving to left-back and Ledley moving up one.

Much of the Celtic fans' attention, though, was on the game at St Mirren and there was a huge cheer when news of the Buddies' victory over Rangers was confirmed.

The home side took inspiration from the shock result and in 52nd minute Samaras took a Hooper pass and swerved his way into the box before slamming a low drive past Bell.

The big striker looked to have all but sealed the win and he was given a standing ovation in the 65th minute when he was replaced by Mo Bangura.

Killie were more or less reduced to keeping Celtic at bay while the home support chanted 'bring on the Rangers'.

Another good run down the right by Cha in the 72nd minute ended with the full-back crossing perfectly to Ki Sung-yueng but his fellow South Korean mis-kicked with his volley from 12 yards and an increasingly bedraggled looking Killie side escaped punishment.

In the 87th minute Killie substitute Racchi, on for Shiels, rifled in a shot from 25 yards which beat Forster to make it a nervy ending with Wanyama blocking a goal-bound shot by Harkins moments later, with Forster out of his goal.

However, there was to be no undeserved equaliser and the cheers at full-time indicated that the Celtic supporters rightly fancy their chances against their city rivals in midweek.

Celtic2-1Kilmarnock Page last updated at 15:30 GMT, Saturday, 24 December 2011

Samaras scored either side of half-time as Celtic cut the gap on Rangers Celtic moved to within a point of Scottish Premier League leaders Rangers with a home victory over Kilmarnock.

Georgios Samaras headed the home side ahead at the end of an otherwise frustrating first half for Celtic.

The striker netted again with a driven shot from the edge of the box seven minutes into the second half.

Substitute Danny Racchi pulled one back for the visitors with an excellent strike on 87 minutes but Killie were unable to find a leveller.

The hosts' win coupled with St Mirren's victory over Rangers in the earlier kick-off reduces the gap between the two Old Firm sides to the smallest of margins ahead of Wednesday's second Glasgow derby of the season at Celtic Park.

James Forrest's powerful drive flashed past goalkeeper Cammy Bell's post as Celtic looked to take an early lead.

At the other end, good work by Paul Heffernan set up a chance for Dean Shiels but he also shot wide.

Forrest continued to trouble the Killie defence and his shot was spilled by Bell and then pounced upon by Hooper only for the Celtic striker to flick the ball wide.

Mohamadou Sissoko's defensive header was inches away from being an own goal as the ball drifted just wide of Bell's goal, Celtic unable to make anything of the resulting corner.

Scott Brown's shot failed to seriously test Bell as the home fans began to get frustrated at the lack of goals.

But Celtic managed to break the deadlock in first-half injury time and Killie were culpable for their own downfall. Forrest (left) was lively in the first half but was taken off early in the second The visitors tried to pass their way out of defence and conceded possession deep inside their own half.

Cha Du-Ri sent a high ball into the box from the right and Samaras's downward header found the net.

And, moments after Celtic fans had cheered news of Rangers' loss in Paisley, Samaras claimed his second of the day.

Hooper was the architect with a pass through to the Greek and he evaded Sissoko before slamming a shot into the bottom corner.

By this point, Forrest had been withdrawn and replaced by Kelvin Wilson, back after a lengthy injury absence.

Another effort from Hooper went wide after he had skipped away from Manuel Pascali.

Mohamed Bangura took the place of Samaras before Ki Sung-Yueng failed to make a clean connection with two good chances.

Charlie Mulgrew's free-kick was deflected wide of the Killie goal as the match began to fizzle out.

But there was some late excitement for the visiting fans as Shiels' replacement Racchi fired home a blistering shot from 28 yards.

Heffernan then came into collision with Celtic goalkeeper Fraser Forster and, as the ball ran loose, James Dayton was unable to take advantage.

And, despite a few more nervous moments for the hosts, they saw out the win.