Kilmarnock 0 Celtic 2:CELTIC CONTINUE to live in hope rather than expectation. The key aim for Neil Lennon and his players at Kilmarnock was to ensure Rangers cannot win the title when they host Dundee United tomorrow.
Mission accomplished on that front, although Celtic trail their old foes by a point with two league matches remaining. The surprise defeat in Inverness last week still looks like it could be fatally damaging to Celtic hopes.
After this 2-0 victory, Lennon could not resist his latest barb towards Rangers’ opponents.
“We are looking for someone to compete and give Rangers a game,” Celtic’s manager said.
“There hasn’t been much evidence of that in their previous two games.”
Lennon’s point was undermined by the admission that he did not watch Rangers’ 4-0 win over Hearts on Saturday.
Vladimir Romanov, the Hearts owner, insisted that the manager, Jim Jefferies, did not select two of his best players; merely the latest curious act at that club rather than something directly linked to the title race.
“Every club has its own agenda and reasons for doing what they do,” Lennon said. “I’m not going to cast aspersions.”
With Georgios Samaras and Anthony Stokes suspended and midfielder Beram Kayal out for the rest of the season with a wrist injury, Hoops boss Lennon rang the changes.
In came Thomas Rogne, Ki Sung-yueng, Forrest and Daryl Murphy as Charlie Mulgrew and Shaun Maloney dropped to the bench.
Kilmarnock caretaker boss Kenny Shiels was also forced into a reshuffle with James Fowler suspended and Jamie Hamill out with hamstring injury. Garry Hay, James Dayton and Kieran Agard came in as Willy Aubameyang dropped to the bench
Kilmarnock did not lack spirit here, rather their admirable spells of passing weren’t followed up by meaningful scoring chances.
James Dayton came the closest to troubling Celtic, dragging a shot narrowly wide inside 10 minutes. In what was a low-key affair, the visitors had already seen two goals ruled out for offside by the time their captain, Scott Brown, dived to head home after James Forrest had knocked the ball into his path just before the break.
However, it was a wonderful 25-yard drive from Commons in the 68th minute which sealed the win.
Commons, whose scoring record since moving north in January has been impressive, clinched the three points with a sublime strike. The former Derby County midfielder slammed home from 25 yards for his 13th goal for Celtic and 28th of the season.
Celtic visit Hearts on Wednesday – they were beaten on their last visit to Tynecastle – before hosting Motherwell four days later.
After facing Dundee United in Walter Smith’s final home match in charge of the club, Rangers travel to Kilmarnock.
“There are two games to go, anything can happen,” Lennon said.
“Dundee United have something to play for now (a European place). “The results went for them at the weekend and they are looking for a result on Tuesday and we will be looking for a result on Wednesday.”
Kilmarnock caretaker manager Kenny Shiels admitted Brown’s opener was the turning point in the game.
“Until Celtic scored it was an even game,” he said. “It was nip and tuck, I don’t think anyone can disagree with that. We stretched Celtic and they stretched us.
“It was a bad time to concede and it had a psychological effect on their players and our players . . . But the second half was a bit of a non-event and the game petered out after Commons’ strike.”
KILMARNOCK: Bell, Clancy, Hay, Sissoko (Pursehouse 57), Agard, Bryson, Eremenko, Dayton (Fisher 77), Pascali, Silva (Taouil 65), Kelly. Subs not used: Letheren, Berntsson, Gros, Aubameyang. Booked: Eremenko, Pascali.
CELTIC: Forster, Izaguirre (Mulgrew 70), Majstorovic, Wilson, Rogne, Brown, Commons, Ki, Forrest (Maloney 65), Hooper (McCourt 87), Murphy. Subs not used: Zaluska, Juarez, Cha, McGinn. Booked: Brown, Ki.
Referee: William Collum (Scotland).
