2017-04-08: Celtic 3-1 Kilmarnock, SP

Trivia

• Saturday 3pm game
• Celtic in hunt for treble, league already won and league cup also in the bag too. Only Scottish Cup left. Stuart Armstrong has laughed off a tweet by TV star James Corden which hoped West Ham United would sign him.
• Brendan Rogers signed a new four year deal with Celtic. Excellent news. Should hopefully end the ridiculous talk from media who keep raising ‘concerns’ that he will want to leave (or more indicating their desire for him to leave).
• Former referee Charlie Richmond has called Hearts player Sam Nicholson “disgusting” for spitting at an official. The winger was sent off in his side’s 1-0 defeat at St Johnstone for spitting in the direction of assistant referee Stephen Mitchell.
• Brendan joined in with supporters chants of ten in a row, journos quizzed him on it and he just joked "I was just stretching my fingers".
• Leicester could make a summer bid for Celtic defender Erik Sviatchenko, according to reports.
• Celtic Graves Society hold a remembranceevent for James Kelly.

Review

(Jospeh D Pistone of KDS)
Saturday afternoon, 3pm kick off.

Warm and sunny.

Tremendous effort with the food bank collection.

Comfortable win, decent football and Moussa and Rogic looking sharp.

Managing to get some pics with my son and the players after the game.

A top day.

(Haitch of KDS)
Only my 3rd visit to CP this season and probably the one I enjoyed the most and not just because of the weather!

Thought we were excellent at times and the 3-1 scoreline flattered Killie. Didn't think Roberts or Sinclair had the best games but the latter continued his incredible scoring record.

Forrest, McGregor, Brown and especially Armstrong were very good, Stuart was everywhere in the first half and it was a performance that epitomises his season.

Thought the defence done very well too not sure if anyone was at fault for their goal, looked awful flukey to me. I like Erik but on current form he's definitely first choice, was impressed with Boyata today.

Great atmosphere too which was a pleasant surprise. An enjoyable day.

Edit to comment on the subs – Both Moussa and Rogic looked like they are on form which is good with the semi final coming up. Kouassi looks like he has a good range of passing.

Teams

Referee: Craig Thomson
Attendance: 57,679

Articles

• Match Report (see end of page below)

Pictures

• Match Pictures

Forum

• Pre-match
• Match
• Post Match

MOTM

• Voting Thread
• Result Thread
• Winner –

Stats

Celtic
Kilmarnock

Possession
Home 73%
Away 27%

Shots
Home 14
Away 3

Shots on Target
Home 6
Away 1

Corners
Home 5
Away 3

Fouls
Home 9
Away 10

Articles

Celtic 3 – 1 Kilmarnock: Rodgers celebrates new deal with win
http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/competitions/premiership/celtic-3-1-kilmarnock-rodgers-celebrates-new-deal-with-win-1-4415136
Goal scorer Stuart Armstrong battles in midfield. Pic: SNS/Alan Harvey
Boss Brendan Rodgers celebrated his new Celtic deal by watching his Ladbrokes Premiership champions sweep Kilmarnock away in a 3-1 win.
The Northern Irishman signed an improved contract on Friday which takes him to 2021 and in the 22nd minute of a Parkhead procession in-form midfielder Stuart Armstrong fired in the opener with a 25-yard drive.

Brendan Rodgers leads Celtic to another victory to celebrate penning a new contract. Pic: SNS/Alan Harvey
The Rugby Park side emerged from their defensive shell to grab an unlikely leveller in the 65th minute through wide-man Jordan Jones.
However, Scott Sinclair restored Celtic’s lead from close range six minutes later with his 23rd goal of the season and James Forrest added a third.
Celtic remain unbeaten domestically after 39 games – 32 in the league – and moved on to 90 points with some ease.
It was a difficult and exhausting afternoon for interim-manager Lee McCulloch’s side who lost out to Partick Thistle for a top-six place.
As expected after leaving them out of the 1-1 draw with Partick Thistle in midweek, Rodgers returned Scotland players Kieran Tierney, Scott Brown, Forrest and Armstrong to the team, along with Belgian defender Dedryck Boyata.
Moussa Dembele was on the bench after recovering from a hamstring problem which kept him out of the Hoops’ previous two matches.
Kilmarnock’s loanee defender Kristoffer Ajer was not allowed to play against his parent club as Martin Smith, Mark Roberts and Scott Boyd came back into the Ayrshire side.
Killie gave Celtic a guard of honour before the game to acknowledge the Hoops’ sixth successive title win.
They then spent the first-half repelling wave after wave of attacks from the men in green and white, succumbing to Armstrong’s 25 yard drive midway through.
Before that, Sinclair, Callum McGregor and Brown all had efforts as the Rugby Park men defended with some desperation.
Armstrong, the league sponsors’ player of the month for March, had tried his luck with a left-footed drive which flew over the bar moments before he fired into the bottom corner from a similar distance with his other foot for his 14th of the season.
Kilmarnock were all but paralysed by Celtic’s grip on the game.
A last-gasp tackle from Killie defender Iain Wilson blocked McGregor’s close-range shot before Tierney’s angled-shot narrowly missed the far post.
Jones brushed off the attention of Brown in the 42nd minute before firing over the bar from 25 yards but that was about it as far as Killie’s threat was concerned.
The second-half ran along similar lines after Sinclair headed a Patrick Roberts cross past the post three minutes after the restart.
Celtic maintained almost total control but the visitors equalised in a rare attack.
Striker Conor Sammon drifted left to take possession and when he picked out Jones, his deflected strike from 14 yards ended up behind Parkhead keeper Craig Gordon.
However, in the 71st minute all was well again with the Hoops faithful.
Armstrong’s free-kick to the back post was headed across by Boyata and Roberts returned the ball for Sinclair to finish from three yards out.
Immediately Dembele and Tom Rogic replaced Roberts and Callum McGregor respectively and moments later, after the French striker’s shot was deflected on to the post, Forrest headed in the rebound to give the scoreline more credence.

BBC

By John Barnes

BBC Scotland

From the section Football

Stuart Armstrong celebrates his goal
Celtic's Stuart Armstrong scored his 14th goal of the season against Killie

Champions Celtic survived a brief second-half scare before cruising to a comfortable victory over Kilmarnock.

Stuart Armstrong gave the hosts the lead with a 25-yard drive that flew in through a crowd of players.

Jordan Jones drew Killie level against the run of play after the break but Scott Sinclair soon made it 2-1.

James Forrest nodded home the third to confirm Celtic's win and put an end to Killie's hopes of securing a top-six finish this season.

With Partick Thistle beating Motherwell 1-0 at Firhill, they cannot be caught in the race for a top-six berth.
Killie pack defence

Lee McCulloch's side gave the champions a guard of honour as they took to the field and the interim boss showed Celtic further respect by deploying a five-man defence.

Gary Dicker, Iain Wilson and Scott Boyd filled the central roles with Luke Hendrie and Greg Taylor occupying the full-back berths. The formation restricted Celtic early on but the problem for Killie was that every one of their clearances dropped to players in green and white.

Chances eventually came for the hosts, with Sinclair firing wide from Forrest's cross before Callum McGregor's deflected effort was tipped over by keeper Freddie Woodman.
Stuart Armstrong score for Celtic
Midfielder Stuart Armstrong fires Celtic ahead with a fine strike from 25 yards
Stu dunnit

The breakthrough arrived midway through the first half and it was the player of the month for March who did the damage. Armstrong decided to try his luck from distance and his shot appeared to take a slight touch as it flew past Woodman for the midfielder's 14th goal of the season.

Last ditch tackles from Wilson and Boyd denied McGregor and Armstrong before Kieran Tierney sent a left foot volley wide of the target as the home side were unable to increase their lead before the interval.

At times it was like a training game for Celtic as they maximised possession and Killie sat back and hoped to hit them on the break.

The tactic paid off, though, as the Rugby Park men squared it against the run of play. Conor Sammon's attempted shot broke into the path of Jones and his effort from 16 yards took a deflection to beat Craig Gordon.
Rodgers' men respond

That goal spurred Celtic into action and from a free kick delivered by Armstrong, Dedryck Boyata's headed knockdown was turned across the face of goal by McGregor for Sinclair to net with a close range tap in.
Celtic go 3-1 up
James Forrest provides a simple finish to secure the win for Celtic

Moussa Dembele made an immediate impact as a substitute, contributing to Celtic's third goal. His deflected shot came back off the Killie keeper's left hand post and winger Forrest headed the rebound into the net from two yards out.

The result extends Celtic's unbeaten domestic run to 39 games as Killie experienced their first defeat away from home in their last seven games.
Post-match reaction

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers: "I thought it was an outstanding team performance. We played our shape very very well, the quality of the movement, the speed. It was difficult in the beginning because Lee (McCulloch) obviously set his team out very tight in their organisation in a real low position and that's always difficult to break down.

"But we showed quality and great patience and I must say big applause as well to the crowd because they're now seeing what we're trying to do – they're not getting frustrated, they're understanding at times they're going to have to be patient.
Brendan Rodgers celebrates the win
Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers paid tribute to the club's fans

"Our only mistake was for the goal which was the counter attack but every other element we showed a lovely charisma in the game today. We got three goals and with a bit more luck we could have had another one or two."

Interim Kilmarnock boss Lee McCulloch: "I thought first half we were too deep, stood off the game too much and allowed Celtic a little bit too much respect. Second half we changed the system and decided to go a little bit higher up the pitch.

"I'm delighted with the way the boys played and the character and concentration they showed for most of the game.

"We get back in the game and gather a little bit of momentum then we just switch off for a set play as we have done a couple of times this season – that's the most disappointing part of the day.

"Did we deserve to win then game – absolutely not. But I'm proud of the way the boys showed character and passed the ball, especially in the second half at times and maybe on another day we could have stolen a point."