GLASGOW: Kilmarnock ended a 57-year wait for a win at Celtic Park as goals in either half condemned the Scottish Premier League leaders to a 2-0 defeat.
Celtic, who suffered an agonising last-gasp defeat to Barcelona in midweek, showed all the signs of suffering from a European hangover as they made a sluggish start.
Joe Ledley somehow missed from close range for Celtic before Cillian Sheridan seized on some slack defending to race in on goal and calmly round Fraser Forster to net against his old club in the 43rd minute.
Forster kept the Hoops in the match with a superb stop from James Dayton but could do nothing to stop Liam Kelly’s fiercely driven 62nd minute penalty after Emilio Izaguirre had clipped Rory McKeown in the box.
Izaguirre had a strike ruled out for offside and substitute Tony Watt fired over from six yards as Killie held on for their first win at Celtic Park since December 1955.
Celtic remain top by two points over Hibernian, having played a game less than Hibs.
Kilmarnock made the brighter start with Sheridan trying his luck with a speculative shot before Kelvin Wilson put his body in the way to block a fiercely driven cross from McKeown.
Keeper Cammy Bell was forced to punch away a curling free-kick from Charlie Mulgrew before some slack defending allowed Killie to take a 43rd minute lead.
Adam Matthews put Efe Ambrose under pressure with his pass just inside the Celtic half but the Nigerian, who was the last man, was too casual and was caught in possession by Sheridan.
The Killie striker kept his cool to race in on goal and get the better of Forster before rolling the ball home.
Another slack clearance from the Celtic defence in the second-half presented Dayton with an opportunity but Forster produced a superb one-handed save to stop his fierce strike.
Bell dived low to his right to stop another Mulgrew free-kick before Kilmarnock were awarded a 62nd minute penalty when Izaguirre brought down McKeown just inside the Celtic box.
Kelly stepped up to take the spot-kick and drove an unstoppable strike past Forster, who was booked for dissent in yesterday’s match. AFP
