Many happy returns for Celtic

Kilmarnock 0 Celtic 1

Celtic were hurting after their UEFA Cup quarter-final exit to Villarreal on Wednesday night, but Stilian Petrov's 32nd-minute goal moved them an unassailable 16 points clear of rivals Rangers at the top of the SPL.

Celtic manager Martin O'Neill has admitted that their latest title triumph was made all the more special as it came at the scene of last year's end-of-season heartbreak.

Nearly a year ago they returned from a UEFA Cup final defeat to Porto to beat Kilmarnock 4-0 at Rugby Park but their joy was quickly replaced by horror as they discovered that Rangers had thrashed Dunfermline 6-1 to win the championship on goal difference.

But those feelings of despair were replaced by wild celebrations yesterday as Celtic despite crashing out of the UEFA Cup to Villarreal in midweek bounced back again to win 1-0 in Ayrshire to take the Bank of Scotland Premier League trophy back to Parkhead.

O'Neill enthused: "Obviously we would have a few chances to win it but I am absolutely delighted to win here today.

"Eleven months ago we lost the championship here and so it's nice to have won it here.

"Last season was an epic struggle where we had both sides going at it and not an awful lot of points were dropped.

"We came back from the disappointment of the UEFA Cup final but we played fantastically well and news filtered through that we were in front and behind.

"Both things went against us so there was a great disappointment in the dressing room last year but there has been an inner determination to go and pick it up and go for it.

"This is just as special if not better than other seasons.

O'Neill is prepared to sacrifice Celtic's unbeaten record in the top-flight to bring in youngsters and see if a replacement for Henrik Larsson is right under his nose.

The Glasgow giants have not yet lost a league game this season.

But with the Tennent's Scottish Cup final still to come and the title in the bag, the Celtic boss is ready to give youth its chance and give his senior stars a deserved rest.

"Alan Thompson and Chris Sutton have missed the last couple of games and it gives them the opportunity to recover for the final.

"Of course it's a nice target but I'm not sure it (going unbeaten for the league season) will happen. I would like to do it but I would like to go with some younger players coming in.

"We know Henrik is leaving in the summer and the first thing we have to look to see is if we can replace him in the squad we have. Young Craig Beattie, Ross Wallace, Stephen McManus and even some of the younger boys might get a chance," he said.

KILMARNOCK: Meldrum, Lilley, Greer, Dindeleux, Hay, Fowler, Locke, Skora, Murray (Dargo 84), Boyd, Invincibile (McSwegan 87). Subs Not Used: Smith, McDonald, Dodds. Booked: Fowler.

CELTIC: Douglas, Balde, Varga, Mjallby, Agathe (Miller 71), Lennon, Lambert, Pearson, McNamara, Larsson, Petrov.

Referee: M McCurry (Scotland).