Kilmarnock 0
Celtic 1
Celtic this afternoon took full advantage of Rangers’ failure to beat Livingston thanks to Henrik Larsson’s first goal of the season.
That strike brought massive relief to Celtic who had struggled all afternoon to create chances against a spirited Kilmarnock side. But in the 76th minute, Chris Sutton picked up the ball in midfield and chipped it over the home defence, where Larsson, onside by a matter of milimeters, latched onto it to hammer past goalkeeper Gordon Marshall.
Sutton and Larsson had been consistently dropping back into midfield since the 18th minute, when an injury to Bobby Petta afford new signing John Hartson the chance to make an unexpectedly early debut.
Hartson, indeed, might have marked his big day with a goal but, in the 68th minute, he blasted the ball straight at the keeper after Paul Lambert had found him unmarked in the box with a delicate pass.
Despite Michel Ngonge’s power and pace down the left, Kilmarnock never really looked like becoming the first side to score against the champions this season and Martin O’Neill’s men were deserved, if not particularly classy winners.