Kilmarnock 1-2 Celtic: Findlay header earns Killie dramatic win over champions

Published on: 23 September 2018

Stuart Findlay headed home Kilmarnock's winner in stoppage time

Stuart Findlay's stoppage-time header earned Kilmarnock a dramatic comeback win over Premiership champions Celtic.

Leigh Griffiths pounced on a miscued Greg Taylor clearance that struck the bar to give Brendan Rodgers' side the lead at half-time.

But Chris Burke levelled with a brilliant long-range howitzer.

And as an abrasive contest looked set to finish all-square, Findlay rose to meet Burke's corner, planting his header into the bottom corner.

The defeat leaves Rodgers' team with only 10 points from their opening six games, and fifth in the table, six points adrift of league leaders Hearts.

Killie climb above Celtic into fourth, courtesy of their superior goal difference.

    Killie beat Celtic in thrilling finale - reaction How did the players rate at Rugby Park? Dundee plight 'sore to take' - McCann

Killie triumph in war of attrition

This game was a battle laced with so many compelling storylines.

Against a backdrop of refereeing controversy and vehement complaints from Killie manager Steve Clarke, Dedryck Boyata brought the speeding Jordan Jones to ground as he raced towards the Celtic box.

The Belgian escaped with a booking, perhaps saved by the presence of the back-tracking Kieran Tierney, but the early tumult set the tone for an incident-laden contest.

At 34, Kirk Broadfoot is a vastly experienced defender, yet he looked like an ungainly rookie when defending set-pieces. Slow and cumbersome, he could have conceded a penalty after grappling with Boyata, then let the Celtic centre-back have a free run and header at a corner and was bailed out by a terrific Jamie MacDonald save.

There was Youssouf Mulumbu, making his Celtic debut against the team he helped propel to fifth place last season, rugby-tackling Aaron Tshibola after a naughty challenge. And there was the deadly Griffiths, his speed and litheness in leaping to nod home Taylor's horrible miss-kick again underlining his credentials to lead Celtic's line.

This was Killie's day, though. The longer the impotent champions laboured in their pursuit of a second goal, then a winner, the more belief grew in home ranks. Steve Clarke's men coped ably with the power-game of Mulumbu and Scott Brown in midfield and flew forward when they could.

Burke was allowed to trot towards the edge of the box before unleashing a vicious low drive to equalise. And in the dying embers, Findlay darted towards the front post and flashed the winning header back across the face of goal. An exhilarating finish to an engrossing contest.

Chris Burke's vicious drive levelled the contestCeltic falter again - analysis

There's something missing at Celtic. The champions' swagger is gone. The intensity and verve that characterised Rodgers' first two years at the helm has dissipated.

Ten points from a possible 18, draws at Kilmarnock and St Mirren and a defeat at Tynecastle are not good enough. Nor is a record of one win in five away matches.

They have only scored six goals in six Premiership games, created only a handful of chances at Rugby Park, and only in their rousing Old Firm derby triumph have they looked near their best.

Celtic will almost certainly rumble their way to an eighth successive title. They might even win another treble. But at the moment, they look worryingly listless, flat, and light years from their top form.

    Line-ups Match Stats Live Text

Line-ups

Kilmarnock

    1MacDonald

    2O'Donnell

    5Broadfoot

    17Findlay

    3Taylor

    29Burke

    6Power

    27TshibolaBooked at 61mins

    11JonesSubstituted forNdjoliat 84'minutes

    25BrophySubstituted forMcKenzieat 90'minutes

    19StewartSubstituted forDickerat 80'minutes

Substitutes

    4Byrne

    7McKenzie

    8Dicker

    9Boyd

    12Ndjoli

    20Wilson

    26Bachmann

Celtic

    1Gordon

    23Lustig

    20BoyataBooked at 4mins

    4Hendry

    63Tierney

    8Brown

    27MulumbuBooked at 60minsSubstituted forMcGregorat 70'minutes

    73JohnstonSubstituted forEdouardat 79'minutes

    17Christie

    11SinclairSubstituted forMorganat 65'minutes

    9Griffiths

Substitutes

    15Hayes

    16Morgan

    18Rogic

    22Edouard

    29Bain

    42McGregor

    49Forrest

Referee:

Craig Thomson

Attendance:

10,988

Match Stats

Home TeamKilmarnockAway TeamCeltic

Possession

Home42%

Away58%

Shots

Home7

Away7

Shots on Target

Home4

Away4

Corners

Home4

Away9

Fouls

Home18

Away8

Live Text

Posted at

Match ends, Kilmarnock 2, Celtic 1.

Full TimePosted at 90'+4'

Second Half ends, Kilmarnock 2, Celtic 1.

Goal!Posted at 90'+3'

Goal! Kilmarnock 2, Celtic 1. Stuart Findlay (Kilmarnock) header from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Chris Burke with a cross following a corner.

Posted at 90'+3'

Corner, Kilmarnock. Conceded by Scott Brown.

Posted at 90'+1'

Dedryck Boyata (Celtic) wins a free kick on the left wing.

Posted at 90'+1'

Foul by Mikael Ndjoli (Kilmarnock).

SubstitutionPosted at 90'

Substitution, Kilmarnock. Rory McKenzie replaces Eamonn Brophy.

Posted at 89'

Kieran Tierney (Celtic) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

Posted at 89'

Foul by Kirk Broadfoot (Kilmarnock).

Posted at 89'

Foul by Lewis Morgan (Celtic).

Posted at 89'

Chris Burke (Kilmarnock) wins a free kick on the right wing.

Posted at 86'

Corner, Celtic. Conceded by Stephen O'Donnell.

SubstitutionPosted at 84'

Substitution, Kilmarnock. Mikael Ndjoli replaces Jordan Jones.

Posted at 81'

Corner, Kilmarnock. Conceded by Scott Brown.

SubstitutionPosted at 80'

Substitution, Kilmarnock. Gary Dicker replaces Greg Stewart.

SubstitutionPosted at 79'

Substitution, Celtic. Odsonne Edouard replaces Michael Johnston.

Posted at 76'

Attempt missed. Michael Johnston (Celtic) left footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the right.

Posted at 74'

Dedryck Boyata (Celtic) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

Posted at 74'

Foul by Greg Stewart (Kilmarnock).

Posted at 73'

Lewis Morgan (Celtic) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Posted at 73'

Foul by Jordan Jones (Kilmarnock).

Posted at 73'

Mikael Lustig (Celtic) wins a free kick on the right wing.

Posted at 73'

Foul by Greg Taylor (Kilmarnock).

Posted at 72'

Scott Brown (Celtic) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

Posted at 72'

Foul by Eamonn Brophy (Kilmarnock).

Posted at 71'

Corner, Celtic. Conceded by Kirk Broadfoot.

SubstitutionPosted at 70'

Substitution, Celtic. Callum McGregor replaces Youssouf Mulumbu.

Posted at 70'

Attempt saved. Ryan Christie (Celtic) left footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom left corner.

Posted at 69'

Foul by Jordan Jones (Kilmarnock).

Posted at 69'

Lewis Morgan (Celtic) wins a free kick on the left wing.

SubstitutionPosted at 65'

Substitution, Celtic. Lewis Morgan replaces Scott Sinclair.

Goal!Posted at 64'

Goal! Kilmarnock 1, Celtic 1. Chris Burke (Kilmarnock) right footed shot from outside the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Aaron Tshibola.

Posted at 63'

Corner, Kilmarnock. Conceded by Scott Brown.

BookingPosted at 61'

Aaron Tshibola (Kilmarnock) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

BookingPosted at 60'

Youssouf Mulumbu (Celtic) is shown the yellow card.

Posted at 58'

Youssouf Mulumbu (Celtic) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

Posted at 58'

Dangerous play by Aaron Tshibola (Kilmarnock).

Posted at 57'

Foul by Michael Johnston (Celtic).

Posted at 57'

Greg Taylor (Kilmarnock) wins a free kick on the right wing.

Posted at 54'

Youssouf Mulumbu (Celtic) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

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Source: bbc.com

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