1995-12-02. Celtic 4-2 Kilmarnock. Premier Division.

Trivia

Review

Teams

Celtic:(3-5-2)
Marshall, Boyd, Hughes, McKinlay, Donnelly (McLaughlin 87), McStay, Grant, Collins, McNamara, van Hooijdonk, Thom (Hay 80).

Kilmarnock:(4-4-2):
Lekovic, MacPherson, Whitworth, Anderson, Black, Mitchell, Reilly, Connor (Henry 80), Holt, Wright (McKee 45), Brown.
Yellow card: Anderson (Kilmarnock)

Scorers: Mitchell (7) 0-1: Brown (24) 0-2; Grant (42) 1-2; Thom (43) 2-2; van Hooijdonk (61) 3- 2; van Hooijdonk (64) 4-2;

Referee: R Tait (East Kilbride)
Attendance: 33,812

Articles

• Match Report (see end of page below)

Pictures

• Match Pictures

Articles

December4, 1995
Parkhead men jolted from slumbers;Killie strikes stingCelticinto action

BYLINE:Ian Paul;

NOT being one of the natives, Pierre van Hooydonk may be unaware of Burns (the bard, not the manager), but, afterCeltic'sremarkable recovery, he gave a pretty accurate description of Rabbie's perception of what happens to the best laid plans.The Dutchman, scorer of two goals against the luckless Killie, explained that he and his colleagues had talked before the game of getting a good start, scoring early, and getting the crowd behind them.
"Then it went wrong, they scored, we couldn't get going, and nobody wanted the ball," he said, "but after half-time everybody wanted the ball. That was the difference."

Pierre is also beginning to understand the Scottish football critics' mentality."I think it is quite usual in Scotland that when a foreigner first comes here they look at his good points, but after a couple of weeks they must find things to criticise. But Andreas (Thom) and I can handle that."
Thom, sitting beside his loquacious colleague, does not have the same command of English but he was able to get across the message that the Parkhead team is determined to keep Rangers in their sights as the championship race progresses.
Although van Hooydonk was the sponsors' man of the match, many of us thought Thom had even greater influence on the day's events, while Tommy Burns reckoned Peter Grant was the outstanding player of the day.
The divergence of opinion might illustrate how wellCelticplayed later on but for most of the first half they had looked like a team going through the motions.
"I think we started nervously," was how Thom put it. He didn't explain why but, whatever the cause, theKilmarnockteam soon sensed that they had a real chance of delighting the bookies.
When Ally Mitchell scored their first goal, after Gordon Marshall had dropped a Tom Black cross, although he did seem to be impeded by Mitchell, the vast majority of the 33,812 on site was reduced to mild annoyance but, when Tom Brown headed in the second, there was something akin to apoplexy in the stands.
By then, Burns admitted, he was thinking up expletives in preparation for his half-time dressing-room admonishment. He then had to pack them away for another day as his players conjured up two goals inside a minute, both of which infuriated Killie manager Alex Totten, who could not believe his side would collapse in such dramatic fashion.
Paul Wright was guilty of dithering when he lost the ball to Thom, although he might have been fouled in the process, and the next moment the German had laid the ball on the head of Grant.
There was virtually no time for the Ayrshire lot to regather as van Hooydonk played the sweetest of passes to Thom, who took his time before hitting the equaliser. The mugged had got up and belted the muggers.
There was really no way out for Killie then. Two goals up onCelticat Parkhead and controlling the game, they will never have a better chance of making a name for themselves.
Celtic, having come alive, then gave their supporters a treat, scoring two more goals, each by van Hooydonk.
The first was a well-worked 1-2 with Simon Donnelly and the second an easy task after brilliant play by Thom and John Collins.
The party was in full swing, withCelticplaying the knockabout game to such effect that, on one occasion, they made more than 30 passes beforeKilmarnockintervened, and that was with a foul that earned Derek Anderson a booking.
"Without disrespect toKilmarnock, we have to beat teams like them at home if we are to keep in the championship," said van Hooydonk, who admitted that before the season even began he had anticipated a two-horse race with Rangers.
That, in his view, is progress forCeltic. "There is a hell of a difference from last season, although we still have a lot to learn. But we are trying to play football all the time."
Burns thought Grant was "immense" but now has to think about picking a team without him and John Hughes, as both are suspended for the next three matches. Phil O'Donnell should be about ready to return by the weekend, however, to slot into the midfield, while he has plenty of options in the heart of defence, with Rudi Vata or Malcolm Mackay ready to come in.
For Totten, the day that had begun so thrillingly ended in abject disappointment. He left out Wright for the second half, although indicating it was only because he wanted to try Colin McKee's pace up front, and he clearly was very angry at the way the two goals were lost just before the break.
"There are times when you play football and times when you clear your lines," he said. "For more than 40 minutesKilmarnockshowed that they are as good as any team in the league but you can't give away goals like that. We laid it on a plate forCeltic."