Celtic stretched their lead over Rangers at the top of the Bank of Scotland Premier League to 14 points with a less than fluent victory over Kilmarnock.

An uninspired Hoops' side had to wait until the 55th minute to open the scoring through Didier Agathe.

John Hartson struck twice, either side of a Henrik Larsson goal before Stephen Pearson scored his first goal at Parkhead resulting in a scoreline which flattered the SPL leaders.

Eric Skora gave Kilmarnock a much deserved consolation six minutes from time to end the game at 5-1.

Killie striker Gary McSwegan had a good early chance to hit the target.

The ball fell kindly for the forward in the area but he screwed his right-foot effort well wide after four minutes.

At the other end, Francois Dubourdeau kept the visitors on level terms in the eighth minute.

Larsson latched on to Chris Sutton's through-ball and hit a first-time shot which the goalkeeper turned round the post.

Kilmarnock continued to look threatening on the break and Rob Douglas needed to be alert to save Danny Invincibile's low long-range effort in the 12th minute.

The home side were desperately in need of some inspiration but finally came to life in the 24th minute.

Agathe was being pushed back but he curled an inviting cross into the box for Pearson to head just over.

Sutton then got on the end of Pearson's cross and his header took a deflection off Garry Hay before bouncing down off the underside of the bar.

Celtic were stretched at the other end in the 25th minute but McSwegan failed to pick out the waiting Invincibile.

John Kennedy needlessly gave the ball away in the 33rd minute but, fortunately for the young defender, Jackie McNamara made up the ground to tackle McSwegan after he had ran onto Skora's through-ball.

Celtic responded by forcing two corners but Hay deflected Agathe's shot behind and then Stilian Petrov fired over twice.

But the tension was lifted in the 55th minute when Agathe put the home side ahead with their first moment of real quality.

The wing-back played a neat one-two with Hartson inside the area and then thundered an unstoppable right-foot shot between Dubourdeau and his post.

Kennedy unsettled the home crowd again when his headed clearance went straight to McSwegan, but the Kilmarnock man shot straight at Douglas.

Celtic needed another goal and Hartson went close when he headed McNamara's cross just wide.

But the Welshman did get his name on the scoresheet in the 65th minute to put the game out of Kilmarnock's reach.

Agathe again did well to cross from the by-line and Hartson stretched to head past Dubourdeau from close range.

Larsson twisted the knife with the third in the 75th minute after he latched onto Hartson's pass and watched his deflected shot looped over Dubourdeau.

Kilmarnock's demise quickly worsened when Pearson fired under the goalkeeper for his first Celtic goal at Parkhead.

Skora gave the visitors a much deserved consolation in the 84th minute with a clever chip over Douglas from the edge of the box.

Hartson claimed his second of the game in the dying minutes when he stopped to head Petrov's cross into the back of the net from close range.

Teams:

Celtic Douglas, McNamara, Kennedy, Varga (Valgaeren 78), Agathe, Lennon, Petrov (Lambert 78), Sutton, Pearson, Larsson (Maloney 78), Hartson.

Subs Not Used: Marshall, Wallace.

Goals: Agathe 55, Hartson 65, Larsson 76, Pearson 77, Hartson 89.

Kilmarnock Dubourdeau, Lilley, McLaughlin, Greer, Hay, Invincibile (Fowler 85), Locke, McDonald, Hardie, McSwegan (Boyd 71), Skora.

Subs Not Used: Meldrum, Nish, Dodds.

Goals: Skora 84.

Att: 59,138

Ref: T Brown (Scotland).