Premier League Sunday 23rd October 2005

Kilmarnock 0

Celtic 1

0:1 Petrov 24

Att: 10,544

MIB: Iain Brines

Celtic: Boruc Telfer Balde McManus Camara Petrov Lennon Nakamura Maloney Sutton Beattie
subs
Hartson for Beattie 71
Thompson for Maloney 82
McGeady for Nakamura 90

This was the proverbial tough tie, at a ground where we have come, in previous years, with a better team and still lost. It's one of those places that, like the Killie pie, sticks in your craw and leaves a bitter after taste, because of past results. Remember the infamous last day of the season here, in 2003-2004?

Strachan's approach to Ayrshire, was to relegate Thompson and Hartson to the bench in the wake of disjointed performances and press speculation about a move to Birmingham for Big John. The ever improving young buck that is Craig Beattie was paired up front with Sutton, while Maloney started in midfield.

With Boruc now a fully signed up Celt, the Sieve has a look of permanence and managed to hold onto a clean sheet over the 90 minutes. Strachan has instilled a passing game into his troops that didn't sit well with the leaden footed cloggers from the other side of Fenwick moor. Time and again they were late with tackles on Nakamura that deserved a card at least, but got nothing from the MIB. This may explain why the diminutive Maloney rushed a shot that embarasssingly ended in row Z, if he was afraid of a clogging should he dwell on the ball for more than a nanosecond.

It was Petrov and Sutton who combined to punish Jefferies' journeymen with a neat combo at the edge of the box that finished with Petrov evading several lunging defenders to delicately lift the ball over the advancing keeper and into the net from a tight angle. The goal was Larssonesque in its execution and worthy of sealing the 3 points.

The second period was more competitive, with Killie targeting Nakamura and Maloney for more treatment. Celtic were denied a stonewall penalty when Sutton was manhandled by Lilley in the box. It was hard for even the myopic MIB to miss this, but the red white and blue mist that passes for smog in Ayrshire clearly left him confused. Celtic's only consolation was a Beattie header that hit the post and a shot just wide of the target.

This game was a drag after Petrov's exquisite goal and all the more so because of 5 minutes added time! Nonetheless it was 3 more points for Strachan's Celtic.