Some Celtic fans let their feelings on the club's problems known by staying
away from Parkhead and those who turned up saw them struggle before beating
Kilmarnock in a six-goal thriller.
With Celtic 16 points behind arch rivals Rangers before this match and still
reeling from last week's 4-0 mauling at Ibrox, a below average crowd of 40,569
turned out.
Celtic were without Mark Viduka, Tom Boyd, Jackie McNamara, Alan Stubbs and
Stephane Mahe but those that came in had a point to prove after Kenny Dalglish's
ultimatum.
The truth is that they had to perform with Kilmarnock fighting for points at
the bottom of the table and had the linesman not ruled out four goals for
offside then the fans could have been going home even happier.
But goals from Tommy Johnson, Regi Blinker, Eyal Berkovic and substitute Mark
Burchill lifted some of the gloom over the club after Paul Wright and Jim
Lauchlan had stunned the home side with a brilliant second-half fight-back.
With the management position still unresolved Dalglish could have had more
questions to answer as the returning Olivier Tebily almost allowed Kilmarnock to
take a shock lead in just the second minute.
Former Celtic star Tosh McKinlay launched the ball downfield and hesitancy
from the Ivory Coast man allowed Jerome Vareille space in the box but the
defender made a desperate challenge to prevent the Frenchman from firing home.
Tebily was again caught flatfooted in the fifth minute when Samassi Abou
threaded the ball through to Vareille but he wasted the opportunity.
Celtic should have gone in front as Berkovic played a one-two with Lubomir
Moravcik but the Israeli international fired straight at Kilmarnock goalkeeper
Gordon Marshall from 15 yards.
Kilmarnock had been warned and Celtic did take the lead in the 11th minute
when Johnson beat the offside trap to run onto Vidar Riseth's through ball and
he waited his time before placing the ball past Marshall's left hand.
Three minutes later and the home side came within inches of a second when
Moravcik squared the ball to Paul Lambert and the midfielder hit a low drive
inches past the post.
But Kilmarnock were not prepared to lie down and again Tebily was caught
ball-watching as Ian Durrant threaded the ball through to Vareille who fired low
past Jonathan Gould's right-hand post.
Kilmarnock were chasing the game and were leaving gaps open at the back and in
the 21st minute Celtic capitalised to double their advantage.
In almost a carbon copy of an earlier move Berkovic played a one-two with
Moravcik and despite Lauchlan's block, Blinker followed up to fire home past
Marshall.
Marshall then kept his side's slim hopes alive in the 29th minute after
Johnson and Stilian Petrov linked up on the edge of the box and the keeper
spread himself to save and McKinlay and Lauchlan both swept up at the back.
Celtic should have been awarded a penalty in the 42nd minute when the lively
Johnson was bundled to the ground by Frederic Dindeleux but the referee waved
away protests.
However, moments later, the referee did give a foul as Mark Reilly brought
down Petrov on the edge of the box and Moravcik curled his shot just over.
After the restart Celtic had the ball in the net twice in the space of three
minutes but the linesman was flagging and the referee ruled out both Johnson's
efforts - much to the disbelief of the home crowd.
But Kilmarnock showed real grit and determination to hit back in the 49th
minute when substitute Paul Wright beat the offside trap to head home Christophe
Cocard's cross emphatically past Gould.
Celtic almost hit back immediately when Tebily fired a loose ball from the
edge of the box but clipped the upright and went behind.
But the game was dramatically turned on its head in the 58th minute when
Kilmarnock stunned the home crowd to nick an equaliser.
Gary Holt's half-hit shot from Durrant's corner was headed on by Dindeleux and
Cocard directed the ball across the face of goal for Lauchlan to head home at
the far post.
Cocard then went for glory a minute later with a fierce effort from the edge
of the area but Gould was equal to it.
Amazingly Johnson had the ball in the net again only for it to be chalked off
for offside and moments later Berkovic suffered a similar fate.
Johan Mjallby then beat Marshall but saw his efforts come back off the upright
and the defence was on hand to clear the danger and keep Kilmarnock's hopes
alive.
Celtic however got the goal they deserved in the 72nd minute with the
linesman's flag nowhere to be seen as Berkovic coolly lobbed Marshall who had
come well off his line.
Substitute Mark Burchill then shattered Kilmarnock's hopes of more heroics
moments later his introduction in the 84th minute when Berkovic made a brilliant
run leaving a number of Kilmarnock players in his wake before setting the
youngster up to slot home.
The goal came at a cost with Berkovic hurt by a late challenge as he squared
the ball for Burchill.
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