Alan Cochrane @ Rugby Park
On a night that the press, the visitors and their supporters thought was all about Celtic, Kilmarnock recorded a famous victory, and if the chant of "Keano, Keano" was coming from the away support at the start of the game, the same chant, but with ironic overtones, was coming from the Killie support as the final whistle sounded. But Robbie Keane's presence probably added 3000 to the crowd, and certainly added to a terrific atmosphere inside Rugby Park tonight.
As would have been expected, Celtic started the game at a frantic pace, but with the exception of a Ki free kick which Bell had to turn round the post, the visitors didn't cause the Killie defence too many early problems. Any which did exist were soon spotted, reorganisation effected, and the threat of N'Guemo and Ki effectively snuffed out.
McGeady was being double-teamed by Hay and Hamill, and Keane was being well marshalled by Pascali. If Celtic had done most of the pressing in the beginning, Killie did force their way into the game, and Boruc had to be alert to stop a Kelly volley, and then was relieved to see a Hamill shot go wide at the end of decent Killie move.
The 2nd quarter of the game was much more even, and if Bell did well with a double save from Keane on one of the few occasions he slipped Pascali, Celtic had to scramble to get the ball away from Hamill as he was about to pull the trigger after taking a neat pass from Bryson.
Celtic tried to start the second half with the same high tempo, but the Killie defence stood up well, and on the one occasion Fortune got a shot away, Bell turned it round the corner. In 52 minutes, all Kilmarnock's effort was rewarded. Taouil and Clancy cut intricate patterns down the right, drew out the Celtic central defence, fed inside to Maguire, and the new signing calmly stroked the ball low to Boruc's right, and into the net.
Again, as would be expected, Celtic began to ramp up the pressure, and a Loovens header from a corner flashed just wide of Bell's left hand post, and then Ki shot past the same post a few minutes later. But Kilmarnock just wouldn't let Celtic have it all their own way, and at the other end, a move down the left was finished with Bryson crossing to Hamill, and Boruc having to dive to save his shot.
As the 90 minutes approached, Celtic became more and more desperate, and Killie more and more composed. Mr Tumilty played three minutes of injury time, but the Celtic support was heading for the exit before then, as they saw the game slipping away.
Jimmy Calderwood had a beatific, beaming smile on his face at the end, and no wonder. It's nine years since Killie beat Celtic, but he wasn't getting carried away. "We had some luck, and you need that when you play the old firm, and Cammy Bell made some great saves, but the organisation and effort from the whole team brought the reward." It sends us into the cup tie with Inverness Caley in great heart.
Kilmarnock: Bell, Clancy (Kiernan), Hay, Ford, Bryson, Pascali, Taouil (Sammon), Kyle, Kelly, Hamill, Maguire (Severin)
Celtic: Boruc, Hinkel (Caddis), Naylor(Brown), N'Guemo, Keane, Fortune, Kamara, Hooiveld (Thompson), Ki, Loovens, McGeady
Referee: Mike Tumilty
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