In case anyone still needs telling, this is Celtic and Henrik Larsson's season.

The Swede struck a second half hat-trick to land Martin O'Neill's first trophy in a debut season that is on course for an astonishing silverware treble.

Who now can stop the Celtic juggernaut?

Certainly Kilmarnock could not, despite their muscular endeavour and a man advantage for the last half hour following Chris Sutton's red card.

It was not long after the restart when Larsson notched goal number 45 of a golden season.

Ramon Vega chested a Lubo Moravcik cross goalwards and the Swede swivelled in the six-yard box to hook past Gordon Marshall before Garry Hay could intervene.

His second was courtesy of the Slovak as well and his drive from a throughball pass was helped over Marshall by a hefty deflection off the leg of Chris Innes.

Larsson was merely saving the best until last and completed a hat-trick with a run from his own half that left challenger Kevin McGowne face down in the turf early on.

He used the undersole of his boot to nudge the ball round Marshall before slotting into the net. It was pure class and a goal good enough to grace any cup final.

Amazingly for a man fast approaching a half century of goals, those were only his third, fourth and fifth in this competition.

Larsson was at the centre of the first half's two moments of controversy and on both occasions the decision went against the Swede.

When Sutton turned to slide the ball into his path, Larsson was perfectly positioned to do what comes naturally.

Celtic felt the instant flag which went up had been harsh but Larsson's shot hit the side-netting anyway.

Hay was the man involved in the other incident, sliding in on the Swede in the box as Celtic had caught Killie cold with a lightning-quick counter attack.

There was no room for error and referee Hugh Dallas ruled the Killie man had taken the ball as well as Larsson as the Celtic man toppled to the ground.

That this could be a war of attrition was apparent from the off when Gus MacPherson and then Alan Mahood clattered Bobby Petta, the mercurial Dutch winger, who had returned from injury for the occasion.

But Petta, the double destroyer of Rangers at Parkhead, lasted just 10 minutes before his damaged groin went again, with Stephen Crainey replacing him.

He and Colin Healy, who had replaced broken ankle victim Stilian Petrov in the starting line-up, both went on to have excellent games.

On the left side of the Killie defence, Dindeleux had been booked early on for hauling Larsson down and when he continued to be penalised repeatedly for fouling the Swede, it seemed odds on that he would be the game's first red card victim.

Instead it was Sutton, who had recovered from a shoulder injury in time to oust Tommy Johnson and resume his partnership with Larsson.

His crime was a mistimed lunge at Gary Holt, who was chasing a ball he should have had under control long before. Sutton's straight red means he is once again set for a spell on the sidelines.

That also applies to Killie skipper Ian Durrant, who returned for the first time since November.

But his patched up knee could not even carry him as far as the half time interval and there was no fairy tale career ending for former Ibrox colleague Ally McCoist, who remained a spectator on the Killie bench.

Killie had found chances hard to come by and the best came before the break when Jonathan Gould, in goal for the cup-tied Rob Douglas, had to dive at Christophe Cocard's feet after Dindeleux had headed on.

Substitute Andy McLaren saw a shot just evade Gould's far post but Celtic could also point to a Vega header that was disallowed for offside as proof of how far they were ahead of their Ayrshire opponents.

Celtic may have had only 10 men but one of them was called Henrik Larsson and that was more than enough.

Teams

Celtic: Gould, Lambert, Petta (Crainey 13), Lennon, Valgaeren, Healy, Larsson, Moravcik (Smith 83), Sutton, Mjallby, Vega, Crainey (Boyd 88).

Subs Not Used: Johnson, Kharine.

Sent Off: Sutton (60).

Booked: Lambert.

Goals: Larsson 47, 74, 81.

Kilmarnock: Marshall, MacPherson, McGowne, Cocard (McLaren 52), Holt, Durrant (Reilly 39), Mahood, Dindeleux (Canero 73), Dargo, Innes, Hay.

Subs Not Used: McCoist, Meldrum.

Booked: Dindeleux, Dargo, McGowne, Hay.

Att: 48,830

Ref: H Dallas (Scotland).