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Celtic ended comfortable 2-0 winners in this game after Kilmarnock having the better of the first half. Henrik Larsson missed 2 great chances in the game and handed over the penalty kicking job to John Hartson. In only the second minute of the game, Lambert's dummy and run down the right wing led to him sending in a superb cross and it looked certain that Larsson would score. However he tried to dink it round the keeper and the ball ended up past the post.Thompson's free kick in 8 minutes beat the wall but Marshall easily held it in the centre of the goal. A minute later a snapshot from the alert Hartson was cleared by Marshall at his near post. A second great chance fell to Larsson on 27 minutes. A flick on by Hartson beat the offside trap and Larsson was through. He got in front of Dindeleux inside the box with only the keeper to beat and put it wide. We began to wonder if Celtic would regret these misses as Petrov headed a corner clear from the goal line and a minute later Douglas had to be alert to save a DiGiacomo shot from a Murray cross. The same player had another shot minutes later but Balde managed to get himself in the way. Kilmarnock came closest to scoring 2 minutes before half time. McGowan's free kick from outside the box cleared the wall and was curving dangerously but Douglas dived up to his right and pushed it clear for the corner. Thompson again tested Marshall with a free kick, 2 minutes into the second half, but the ex-Celt dived to his left to hold. On 50 minutes Larsson took a nice ball on the edge of the box and played it into the area for the on-rushing Petrov. A dunt by Canero send Petrov sprawling and John Hartson stepped up to send a low shot past the keeper at his right hand post. Mahood had an effort for Kilmarnock in reply to the goal, but Douglas dived to push it away. Dindeleux had a header which went by the post after Celtic failed to clear a corner. A neat move from Celtic almost resulted in a goal. Hartson picked the ball up in midfield and found Jackie McNamara on the right. Jackie played an early ball to Larsson who had advanced into the box. Unfortunately the ball came off his chest and was cleared by the last defender.
A rare bit of magic from Lambert sealed the win for Celts. He controlled a Dindeleux clearance just outside the box, flicked it up and over the Frenchman. As it came down he cushioned it with his knee and drove a low shot beyond Marshall to the keeper's left. Hartson had another great effort from a corner; his powerful header fairly rattling off the bar.
Tommy Johnson made a substitute appearance for Killie and was applauded by the Celtic fans. A sarcastic chant of "One Tommy Johnson" followed when the Geordie mis-kicked in the penalty area. Man of the Match goes to Paul Lambert who, despite a nasty blow in the kidneys in the first half went on to produce an assured performance and a classy goal. CELTIC (3-5-2): Douglas; Mjallby, Balde, Valgaeren; Thompson, Petrov, Lambert, Lennon (Petta 75), McNamara; Hartson, Larsson. KILMARNOCK (4-4-2): Marshall; Hay, McGowne, Dindeleux, Canero; Murray (Fowler 79), Calderon (Jaconelli 85), Mahood, Mitchell; Boyd (Johnson 58), Di Giacomo. |