Scottish League Premier Division/Celtic 0 Kilmarnock 0:Brian Quinn has not made a habit of ill-judged comments during his seven-year spell as Celtic chairman, but the 70-year-old may have regretted the words he issued to supporters before raising the championship flag yesterday. In a public response to the criticism Celtic received for inauspicious form in the closing months of the last campaign, Quinn stated: "We swept the opposition aside, put the money in the bank and rode out the rest of the season." Yet the Celtic players failed to justify their chairman's bullish attitude thereafter.
A scoreless draw to open the defence of their title prompted boos from the Parkhead crowd and raised further questions about a lack of potency in attack which has troubled Gordon Strachan throughout pre-season.
"We've won the last three matches against Kilmarnock but that was by far the most chances we have had against them," said the Celtic manager, who deployed the lacklustre duo of Maciej Zurawski and Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink as his first-choice forward line. "We weren't good enough with our attempts at goal, of which we had quite a few."
A more realistic option is Kenny Miller, an unused substitute here, and Derek Riordan, who failed even to make the bench, will play a more meaningful part in the coming weeks. Zurawski is the most likely to make way.
It would be unfair not to recognise the efforts of Kilmarnock, particularly in defence, who displayed superb organisation and tenacity at a venue where they have not won since 1955. In Simon Ford and Jamie Hamill the Ayrshire outfit had the game's outstanding players, but Jamie Fowler suffered a suspected broken ankle during the first half and David Fernandez, playing his first match in 10 months, was also sent to hospital after Aiden McGeady's flying elbow accidentally caught the Spanish striker. Fernandez sustained bleeding in his eye socket.
Despite Strachan's claims to the contrary, the visiting goalkeeper Alan Combe made only two saves which could be classed outside the routine category. Both arrived in the second period, first a smart point-blank stop from Zurawski, then a tip-over from Scott Brown in stoppage-time. In the opening 10 minutes Vennegoor of Hesselink miscued when presented with a glorious opportunity six yards from goal before Allan Johnston passed up an equally promising chance for Kilmarnock.
Fowler's injury appeared to flatten proceedings. His team-mates had a penalty claim after Stephen McManus challenged late on Steven Naismith.
Guardian Service
CELTIC: Mark Brown, Wilson, Kennedy, McManus, Naylor, Hartley, Donati (Nakamura 63), Scott Brown, McGeady, Vennegoor of Hesselink, Zurawski (Killen 63). Subs Not Used: McGovern, Caldwell, Miller, Sno, O'Dea. Booked: Naylor, McGeady, Kennedy.
KILMARNOCK: Combe, Fowler (Dodds 31), Lilley, Wright, Hay (Gibson 50), Naismith, Ford, O'Leary, Hamill, Johnston (Fernandez 83), Nish. Subs Not Used: Harpur, Di Giacomo, Skora, Koudou. Booked: O'Leary, Nish, Naismith.
Referee: C Thomson (Scotland).
