Kilmarnock - 1 Celtic - 2: Celtic's preparations for Wednesday's Champions League match away to Benfica got off to a successful, if low-key, start yesterday as the Parkhead side came from behind to win in Ayrshire.
Gordon Strachan's side, aided on the domestic front by the glaring inadequacies of Rangers and Hearts, are now 10 points clear having won their last eight matches.
Kilmarnock, who were looking to preserve an unbeaten home record, took a well-deserved lead early in the second half through Colin Nish before Shunsuke Nakamura and Kenny Miller ensured Celtic head to Lisbon in reasonable fettle.
In a further blow to the hosts, their outstanding forward and former Celtic player, David Fernandez, left the field on a stretcher shortly before half-time after a horrendous tackle by Gary Caldwell. Fernandez, who left Rugby Park on crutches, will have a scan on his left knee today. The early indications are that he has cruciate ligament damage.
"Gary missed a lot of the half-time team talk because he went to see David," Strachan said. "He (Caldwell) was visibly shaken. You can get hurt by accidents and that was an accident."
Kilmarnock's Steven Naismith had squandered the best chance of the opening half but Jim Jefferies' outfit were ahead four minutes after the restart as Nish blasted a shot beneath Artur Boruc following a fine Peter Leven pass.
Nakamura restored parity six minutes later, as he brilliantly curled a low 30-yard free-kick into Graeme Smith's net before Miller squeezed Shaun Maloney's cut-back home from close range.
It was a victory which was scarcely deserved, but one which will doubtless inflict further psychological damage at Ibrox and Tynecastle, given that Celtic still possess that uncanny ability to win when below their best.
Strachan will also be boosted by the fact that his young defender John Kennedy will return to match action tomorrow after two years out through injury. Kennedy sustained knee ligament damage on his Scotland debut against Romania and will play the final 20 minutes of a reserve match at Motherwell.
Strachan, though, laughed off one report yesterday which suggested he will make a move for David Beckham. "I saw that this morning and thought 'Oh, for Christ's sake'."
Guardian Service
KILMARNOCK: Smith, Greer, Hay, G Murray, Frazer-Wright, Fowler, Johnston, Leven (S Murray 79), Invincibile, Naismith (Dodds 89), Fernandez (Nish 45). Subs not used: Combe, Lilley, O'Leary, Adams. Booked: Frazer-Wright. Goal: Nish 49.
CELTIC: Boruc, Telfer, Naylor, McManus, Caldwell, Lennon, Pearson, Nakamura (Sno 88), Jarosik (McGeady 46), Maloney, Zurawski (Miller 70). Subs not used: Marshall, O'Dea, Riordan, Balde. Booked: Caldwell, Boruc. Goals: Nakamura 55, Miller 75.
Referee: J Underhill (Scotland).
