Celtic beat Kilmarnock at Rugby Park to regain top spot in Premiership

Celtic have defeated Kilmarnock at Rugby Park to regain top spot in the Scottish Premiership.

The Hoops won 2-0 to take all three points in Ayrshire on Sunday with goals from Callum McGregor and Nicolas Kuhn.

They now leapfrog Aberdeen on goal-difference at the summit after 12 league games this season.

The home side started well and nearly took the lead in the first-half when Marley Watkins struck the post just after the 30 minute mark.

Kyle Vassell then came close but his effort was blocked by Auston Trusty before it reached Kasper Schmeichel’s goal.

Brendan Rodgers’ side then got themselves in-front when McGregor scored his fifth of the season just before the break.

The captain put a cross into the box that bypassed the Killie defence and Celtic forwards before floating past Robby McCrorie and into the net to make it 1-0 in first-half injury time.

Kuhn then continued a good week for him when he added to his midweek double against RB Leipzig with another goal.

The German winger burst through the Killie defence before slotting the ball past McCrorie to make it 2-0 with 20 minutes remaining.

Celtic lost twice at Rugby Park last season before clinching the title at the same venue with a 5-0 win.

There was a clear indication of how difficult Brendan Rodgers viewed the challenge when he named a team that had only two changes from the side that beat RB Leipzig on Tuesday.

Adam Idah started up front and Liam Scales replaced pre-match fitness concern Cameron Carter-Vickers.

Derek McInnes was forced into two changes as Stuart Findlay and Danny Armstrong dropped out. Liam Donnelly and Joe Wright came in.

Celtic’s wingers made some positive runs in the opening stages but it soon became clear that the visitors would face a tough test and Schmeichel made the first of many saves when he pushed away Corrie Ndaba’s long-range drive.

There were plenty of opportunities at both ends. David Watson and Watkins were off target for the hosts and Kyle Vassell was twice denied.

The hosts came closest when Matty Kennedy’s one-touch through ball set up Watkins, who looked like he had done everything right as he dinked the ball over Schmeichel, only to see it bound off the post.

Idah could not get hold of shots from two decent chances and Robby McCrorie made an excellent fingertip save from McGregor’s long-range strike.

The breakthrough came when the Celtic captain tried to find Idah with a teasing lofted ball four minutes into stoppage-time. The ball was just out of reach of the striker’s outstretched boot but nestled in the far corner of the net.

Innes Cameron replaced Vassell and was quickly involved as Schmeichel saved from the substitute and Brad Lyons before Ndaba headed wide, all in the opening four minutes of the half.

Killie kept the pressure on but Kuhn was proving a threat on the break and he was denied by Wright’s last-ditch challenge and a brilliant stop from McCrorie.

Schmeichel was soon back in action to deny Cameron and then Kennedy with a brilliant one-handed stop after the winger had waltzed into the box.

The clincher came following a lofted ball down the wing by Alistair Johnston. Kuhn’s pace took him away from two opponents and, with two against two in the middle, the wide player had the chance to head towards goal, placing the ball just inside the far post.

Killie kept plugging away but it was Celtic who came closest to a late goal when McCrorie saved well from substitute Kyogo Furuhashi.