IN YOUR DREAMS
Five-star Celts make it a nightmare for Killie
Steve Clarke told Killie fans to dream big but they barely had their eyes shut before a rude awakening from the champs.
They were ripped apart by a rampant Celtic who made it a nightmare trip to Glasgow for the Rugby Park side.
Clarke’s boys had been hailed as potential Premiership title winners by majority shareholder Billy Bowie after hitting the top. But Brendan Rodgers’ team brought them crashing back down to earth with a ruthless display that took them back to the summit.
They blew Kilmarnock away in a scintillating first half where Celtic scored four but could have hit seven.
James Forrest, Odsonne Edouard, Mikael Lustig and Ryan Christie all got on the scoresheet inside the first 45 to put the game to bed early.
After the break sub Eamonn Brophy’s penalty gave Killie faint hope but another Forrest strike wrapped up the points and set Celtic up perfectly for their vital Europa League tie with Red Bull Salzburg on Thursday night.
Hoops winger Forrest, who has now scored 14 goals in 15 games, was delighted with the emphatic win and clinical performance.
He said: “Whenever we’re questioned we usually come back with a performance like this – that shows the character in the team. In big games we usually turn up.
“Kilmarnock deserve to be up there, they’ve done really well. But we played some good stuff with a high intensity.
“It was important to win and show what we’re capable of.
“That was the perfect performance before Salzburg. We scored five goals but it could have been more.
“Salzburg will see a different Celtic team to the one they beat before. But they’re a top side and we’ll need to be at it to make sure we get through.
“We need to produce a performance on Thursday to get the win.”
Rodgers decided to drop skipper Scott Brown to the bench after his comeback at Motherwell in midweek – restoring Callum McGregor to the position of midfield pivot.
And he had to do without Kieran Tierney as the left-back was toiling with a groin strain.
Killie turned up full of confidence, with Clarke unbeaten against Rodgers since arriving at Rugby Park last October.
But he was dealt a blow with the news defender Kirk Broadfoot was missing injured. And boy did they miss him.
Killie’s two centre-backs were all over the place early on as Celtic’s movement and quick passing ran them ragged.
Left-back Greg Taylor didn’t help matters with his error for the home side’s opener only six minutes in.
Emilio Izaguirre, in for Tierney, swung over a cross from the left and while Taylor’s positioning was fine he was so slow to react and Forrest nipped in to produce a cracking finish for 1-0.
It was the start Clarke must have dreaded having left out in-form Eamonn Brophy up top in a 4-5-1 formation.
Suddenly they had to get out – but that was easier said than done with Celtic all over them like a cheap suit. Tom Rogic could have had the Hoops three up inside 12 minutes but was denied twice by keeper Daniel Bachmann.
The Aussie’s volley from a poor Scott Boyd clearance was beat away then when Christie sent him clear he was denied by the Austrian goalie’s legs.
Killie just couldn’t keep the ball long enough to get up the pitch.
It was just after their best spell of the half – when Greg Stewart had forced Craig Gordon into a save – that Celtic turned the screw.
The move between Christie, Rogic and Edouard was a joy to watch before the big striker tucked away their second.
It was a fantastic finish but Boyd and Stuart Findlay at the back were nowhere near the Frenchman.
And they were exposed again for Celtic’s third on the half-hour.
McGregor whipped in a free-kick and Lustig drifted in unopposed to clip a volley past Bachmann for 3-0 and there was time for Christie’s pinpoint freekick to make it four before the break.
Killie’s players were shellshocked. They were the last Scottish team to defeat Celtic before yesterday and must have fancied their chances.
But when Rodgers’ men really need to produce the goods they normally deliver and few sides could have lived with them.
Killie changed their shape after halftime, introducing Brophy for Aaron Tshibola, and effectively going 4-2-4.
The striker pulled a goal back from the spot after Filip Benkovic tripped Rory McKenzie right on the edge of the box and ref Nick Walsh ruled the foul was inside. But that just got Celtic’s back up and it wasn’t long before Forrest made it 5-1. Christie burst into the box and looked like he was tripped by Bachmann. But before the ref could put a whistle to his mouth the Scotland winger had fired the loose ball high into the net. Towards the end Forrest was denied a hat-trick by the post and Scott Sinclair hit the bar with a terrific effort. For Killie it was a dose of reality that would have been tough to swallow.