Kilmarnock 1-2 Celtic: Player ratings + talking points as new boy Iheanacho converts last-gasp penalty on day of high drama
How we rated the Celtic players in their late 2-1 Scottish Premiership win against Kilmarnock at Rugby Park
Troubled Celtic managed to put their off-field problems to one side for 90 minutes by returning to the top of the Premiership table on goal difference after a last-gasp 2-1 victory over Kilmarnock at Rugby Park.
Following a period of turmoil off the pitch at Parkhead, the pre-match build up to this game centred around Hoops fans continuing to demonstrate against the club's board by staging a late entry protest, with their 12th-minute arrival emphasising their role as the team's “12th man”.
In addition to those protests, it was also leaked last week from an unknown insider claiming that manager Brendan Rodgers was attempting to “engineer his way out” of his contract, which is due to expire next summer.
The Northern Irishman addressed the issue in his press conference on Friday, where he led calls for the “coward” who briefed a media outlet against him to leave the club immediately.
So would there be any further dramatic twists in East Ayrshire against a Kilmarnock side that were still seeking a first league win of the campaign after starting with four straight draws.
The hosts got the match underway with the Chadwick Stand housing the travelling support only a fifth full. Those who opted to wait outside in protest didn’t miss much goalmouth action, even though the opening stages were being played at a good intensity.
Killie were doing a solid job of keeping the visitors at bay in the first-half. It took Celtic until the 32nd minute to register their first attempt on target when captain Callum McGregor floated a cross towards the back post for debutant Sebastian Tounekti - the winger signed for £5.5million form Hammarby IF on deadline day. However, the Tunisian international could only fire over the crossbar on the stretch.
Centre-back Cameron Carter-Vickers then let fly from 25-yards shortly before the interval, with his deflected low drive having to be pushed round the far post by Max Stryjek for a corner.
Throughout a fairly drab opening 45 minutes, and not for the first time this season, chants of ‘sack the board’ could be heard ringing out from the away fans.
For all they were struggling to break a resolute Kilmarnock down, Celtic’s bright spark was new boy Tounketi who showed up well on his first start. The opposite could be said of fellow new recruit Michel-Ange Balikwisha on the other flank, who for a second successive game offered little in attack.
The breakthrough did eventually arrive, thought, after 56 minutes. On-loan Boca Juniors left-back Marcelo Saracchi was allowed acres of space to deliver a teasing cross into the penalty area, which was met by the head of Daizen Maeda. The Japanese striker had been largely ineffective up until that moment, but he displayed predatorial instincts to glance a diving header past Stryek into the far corner of the net for his overdue first league goal of the season.
Celtic upped the ante thereafter and began pressing forward in search of a killer second goal, with Liam Scales heading over from a corner. Shortly after, they had a penalty appeal turned down following a VAR check when Tounekti’s low cross bounced off Stryjek and appeared to strike Robbie Deas on the arm.
Rodgers then dished out a debut to former Sevilla striker Kelechi Iheanacho with 20 minutes remaining as Maeda made way. But Kilmarnock refused to lie down and moments after Bruce Anderson came close to an equaliser, Stuart Kettlewell’s side were back on level terms as the visitors conceded their first Premiership goal of the season.
A Greg Kiltie corner from the right was met in the air by Scotland Under-21 star David Watson, who crashed a header into the net from six yards out. It was a real hammer blow to Rodgers and his players with only seven minutes left to play.
Suddenly, Kilmarnock found themselves firmly in the ascendency and probing for a late winner. But there was to be a late twist in the tale when Celtic were awarded a penalty deep into stoppage time.
19-year-old Colby Donovan managed to get to the by-line and pick out substitute James Forrest with a low ball across the box. The winger's shot was blocked by Lewis Mayo’s hand, with referee John Beaton pointing to the spot after reviewing the flashpoint on the pitch side VAR monitor.
Killie were furious with the decision as they surrounded Beaton in protest. And it was left to Iheanacho to prove he isn’t the panic buy that most punters viewed him as. The ex-Manchester City and Leicester man kept his cool amid a cauldron of noise to rifle high into the net, leaving Stryjek with no chance, sparking a pitch invasion from the jubilant visiting fans.
Late joy for Celtic as they maintained their unbeaten start to the domestic campaign. Heartache for Kilmarnock on a day of high drama. Here, GlasgowWorld breaks down three main talking points from the game and how the Celtic players fared:
Celtic fans makes stance clear over board with late entry protest
True to their word, a substantial amount of Celtic supporters waited until the 12th minute of the match to enter the ground as angry punters continued to vent their disapproval over the club’s summer transfer recruitment.
A banner unfurled ahead of kick-off read ‘SACK THE BOARD’ before the Green Brigade unveiled a second display after entering to the stadium which read ‘BACK THE TEAM’ accompanied by images of several board members with their faces scored out.
Promising early signs from Tounekti
The early signs for Sebastian Tounekti look very promising. The wide man was Celtic’s star performer in the first half, looking a serious threat in possession and always keen to take on his man, unlike Balikwisha.
You can see flashes of Nicholas Kuhn in the Tunisian. He had Kilmarnock full-back James Brown on toast and was dragging opposition defenders out of position on several occasions.
He already looks a really shrewd acquisition. Perhaps the lofty price tag Celtic paid to secure his services wasn’t overboard after all?
Maeda steps up after going through the motions
Football can be a funny old game. Daizen Maeda was about to be replaced by Brendan Rodgers when he popped up with the opening goal. The versatile forward has been going through the motions so far this season and hasn’t looked the same player as last term.
Perhaps that’s due to being denied a move to the Bundesliga late in the summer window, with the player keen on a move away from Glasgow.
Rodgers said pre-match he was convinced Maeda would get his head around that disappointment and he stood up when his team-mates needed him most here.
GK - Kasper Schmeichel (6/10)
RB - Colby Donovan (7/10)
LCB - Liam Scales (5/10)
CM - Callum McGregor (6/10)
CM - Reo Hatate (5/10)
CM - Benjamin Nygren (6/10)
LCF - Sebastian Tounetki (8/10)
RCF - Michel-Ange Balikwisha (4/10)
CF - Daizen Maeda (6/10)