Macdonald is Kilmarnock idle
give Celtic space. It worked to a T. You could see the energy about the place. We are all fit and we all gave our all. That is what you need on days like those when you play Celtic. Everybody needs to be 100 per cent and that was definitely the case.”
It was Kilmarnock’s fifth victory in their last eight Premiership fixtures, taking them back into the top six. The start of the campaign, in which they failed to win any of their opening eight league games, now feels like a distant memory for Macdonald.
“It doesn’t feel like it is the same season,” said the former Hearts keeper. “Just the mood about the place, everything is so different. Our league campaign started very poorly, it was only three points from the first eight games.
“Then last weekend we were leaving Pittodrie really disappointed about having lost 3-1 to Aberdeen, which says a lot about how far we have come and the expectations we now have. We were looking to make amends against Celtic and we have done that. This league is so tight that we are still looking to get away from the bottom end first and foremost but that win is a big win and hopefully gives us confidence going forward.”
Celtic’s second domestic defeat under Rodgers reduced their lead at the top of the Premiership to eight points and included defenders Dedryck Boyata and Kristoffer Ajer limping off in the first half to join an already lengthy list of injured players for the champions.
Regardless of their distaste for an artificial playing surface which manager Rodgers described as “dreadful”, the Celtic camp accepted that it was their own failings on the day which were the biggest factor in the result.
“From start to finish, we weren’t good enough,” said winger James Forrest, pictured. “We got what we deserved and we just need to show a bit of character now to come back from this. We started actually all right, for the first ten minutes, but then the couple of defenders going offmaybechangedthewaythe game was going. “But we don’t have any excuses. The better team won. I can’t remember a game before when we’ve only had one shot on target. Kilmarnock sat back and we never created much. We had a lot of attacking players on the pitch but, all round, we weren’t good enough.
“We have played on this pitch a few times before and we’ve won. So we know what it’s like and we’re not going to blame the pitch. It is difficult to play on but you can say it is the same for both teams. The Kilmarnock pitch is a bit better than Hamilton’s.”
Forrest hopes Celtic can deliver a response to Saturday’s loss similar to their reaction following their first domestic setback under Rodgers, the 4-0 defeat by Hearts at Tynecastle in December.
“It needs to be the same again, because we have the next round of the Scottish Cup coming up next and then the Europa League tie against Zenit St Petersburg this month as well,” he added.
“So we know we have to turn it around quickly again. We actually created more chances in that defeat against Hearts than we did against Kilmarnock. So we know, as a team, it wasn’t good enough and we have to rectify it.”