Alan Cochrane @ Rugby Park

"What did you say to them at half-time, Jim?"

"Unrepeatable!"

Well if the answer to the hack's question at the end was unrepeatable, the home support will reckon Killie's second half performance was certainly repeatable. The first half was anything but.

That first half was so one-sided that it was surprising it took so long for Celtic to get off the mark. Artur Boruc was almost completely idle throughout that first 45 minutes, his sole contribution to hug a 35 yard looping Nish shot, while Alan Combe was perpetually involved as Kilmarnock simply didn't compete, and the visitors had things all their own way. McDonald hit the post within the first two minutes, Vennegoor of Hesselink smacked one over the bar from 3 yards, and Combe pulled off a good save from McGeady, but Killie's luck couldn't hold. A double in the space of two minutes from Scott McDonald, who is fast turning into the transfer bargain of the season, was no more than Celtic deserved. His first came when he turned inside Simon Ford, made space and side-footed the ball low to Alan Combe's left, the second when he raced in front of the defence to meet a cross from McGeady at the near post and glance it in with his head.

Jim Jefferies and Billy Brown obviously read a synchronised riot act at the break, and brought on Locke and Bryson for Gibson and Hamill for the second half. You would have thought there had been 11 changes, so different was the performance. Celtic now found they had no space to work in as the Killie players challenged and harried all over the pitch, and started to drive at the visitors at every opportunity. That paid off only 10 minutes in, when Gary Locke drove in a free kick from the left, and as Boruc came out for it, Frazer Wright beat him to it and glanced it with his head into the net.

Another Locke free kick was blocked out to Danny Invincibile three minutes later, but his shot went over the bar, and then Boruc made up for his earlier error with a wonderful diving one-handed save from Colin Nish. The big man was put through by Gary Wales and you would have put the rent money on him scoring, but he was denied by the big Polish keeper from only 7 or 8 yards.

It was still end to end of course; Celtic aren't champions for nothing, and Killie had to fend off 4 dangerous corners in a row, and McGeady shooting over after breaking up-field as Killie laid siege at the other end. And at the other end, Boruc cut out a Wales cross with Bryson lurking, then McManus had to be sharp to block another Nish shot. Pressure, shots and corners round the Celtic goal was the story for the last quarter of the game, but the final whistle came before Kilmarnock could get that equaliser.

Jim Jefferies was very disappointed in that first half, where he reckoned that we didn't compete, gave the ball away as soon as we had won it, and committed grievous defensive errors for both the goals. On the upside, we came out for the second half, changed the system a bit, and played terrific. The message? Learn from the first half, play like the second.

Kilmarnock: Combe, Fowler, Hay, O'Leary, Wright, Ford (Jarvis), Nish, Wales, Invincibile, Gibson (Bryson), Hamill (Locke)

Celtic: Boruc, Caldwell, Naylor, Kennedy, McManus, Jarosik, Hartley, Brown, McGeady, McDonald

Referee: Dougie McDonald