Celtic vs Kilmarnock. Scottish Premiership.
Celtic ParkAttendance58,883.
Kristoffer Ajer, Odsonne Edouard, Leigh Griffiths on target
Monday 24 February 2020 10:51, UK
Celtic overcame an early scare to cruise past Kilmarnock 3-1 and open up an imperious 12-point lead at the top of the Scottish Premiership.
Neil Lennon's side found themselves trailing to a sixth-minute Eamonn Brophy penalty but subsequent goals from Kristoffer Ajer (28) and Odsonne Edouard (33) completed a first-half turnaround that quickly looked likely.
Leigh Griffiths, back in the starting line-up after injury, added a third (62) soon after Alan Power had seen red for a second yellow card but the scoreline even prior to his dismissal had belied the hosts' dominance.
News of Rangers' 2-2 draw at St Johnstone enthused the Celtic Park hordes and while Steven Gerrard's side have a game in hand, a 10th domestic win out of 10 fixtures in 2020 stretched Celtic's advantage yet further.
Just 10 league games remain as Lennon's side storm towards their ninth successive league title.
Kilmarnock set a brisk tempo and took the lead when Brophy, upended by Jozo Simunovic as the pair fought for the ball, hammered his spot-kick past Fraser Forster.
Celtic, swiftly back to domestic duties after their 1-1 Europa League draw in Copenhagen on Thursday, had been slack but belatedly got a foothold in the contest as home cheers transmitted news from McDiarmid Park.
Tom Rogic tested Killie keeper Laurentiu Branescu with a decent long-distance drive before the Juventus loanee - impressive throughout - blocked a Griffiths drive with his feet.
Bransecu then tipped Simunovic's powerful long-distance effort over the bar but from another corner moments later, Christopher Jullien cut the ball back for defensive partner Ajer to sweep in from six yards.
Edouard bundled the ball in from close range just moments later after Simunovic had headed back across goal, with Kirk Broadfoot scrambling to keep the ball out but failing.
Celtic were dominant now and Branescu stayed busy.
Edouard twice missed the target before the visitors were reduced to 10 men when Power - already booked - slid in on Jeremie Frimpong and an increasingly one-sided contest became damage limitation for Alex Dyer's side.
Griffiths tapped in a Ryan Christie cut-back and he had the ball in the net again in the 72nd minute only to see the offside flag up.
He was thwarted at the near post by a brilliant palm from Branescu and the Killie goalkeeper also parried a Taylor drive as the Rugby Park men, long beaten, dug in to prevent a real thrashing.
Celtic boss Neil Lennon: "The performance and the reaction to going a goal down pleased me most, though I felt the first goal shouldn't have counted as Brophy was offside when he got the ball.
"The title is a million miles away as far as we are concerned, we just want to concentrate on our affairs. In the second half we were outstanding and I think some of our football was simply irresistible at times."
Kilmarnock boss Alex Dyer: "Of course (a top-six spot is still feasible). That is the message we have got, we have got five games, they are important. It is going to be a tough run in but they are games that, if we want to get to the top six, we have to win."
"I didn't think (Power's) was a second yellow to be honest. He tried to tackle the lad, the lad went down but I don't think it was a second yellow."
Celtic welcome FC Copenhagen to Celtic Park in the return leg of their last-32 Europa League tie, before taking on St Johnstone on Sunday March 1 in the Scottish Cup quarter-finals.
Kilmarnock are not back in action until Wednesday March 4, when they host Kilmarnock.
