Celtic sound warning ahead of derby

Celtic 5 Kilmarnock 0

Hat-trick hero Henrik Larsson and champions Celtic could not have picked a better way to prepare for the first Old Firm showdown of the season than their five-goal rout of Kilmarnock today.

Celtic closed the gap on Scottish Premier League leaders Rangers to one point with a Larsson treble and Chris Sutton double ahead of next Sunday’s hugely-anticipated clash at Parkhead.

But after coming through comfortably this afternoon in what became no more than a practice match at times, manager Martin O’Neill can now wrap his stars up in cotton wool for the rest of the week.

He can afford to do that with his side taking an 8-1 lead to Lithuania for the return leg of their UEFA Cup tie in mdweek.

As so often is the case at home, Celtic had the match won inside the first 11 minutes, but it was not without an early scare.

Kilmarnock could not have had a worse build-up to today’s daunting challenge after defeats to Hibernian and Airdrie United, but things almost changed for the better early on.

Peter Canero skipped away down the left and pulled the ball back to Paul di Giacomo, but he headed wide from eight yards.

But that nervous moment for the Celtic fans sparked an immediate response from the home side and their opener inevitably arrived in the 11th minute through the rejuvenated Larsson.

Neil Lennon, who has all-but ruled out a return to the Northern Ireland squad, made it with a dangerous cross into the six-yard box, but the Swede reacted quickly to prod the ball past Gordon Marshall.

The flood gates were now expected to swing open and it took just four minutes for the champions to double their lead.

Larsson was again involved as he exchanged passes with Chris Sutton on the edge of the box for the Englishman to coolly slot the ball past the wrong-footed Kilmarnock goalkeeper.

The visitors almost responded instantly when two minutes later Alan Mahood hit a low right-foot drive which Robert Douglas needed to be alert to tip past his right-hand post.

The Celtic stars were queuing up to get on the scoresheet in the 21st minute, but it was Larsson who expectedly was in the right place at the right time to notch his 12th goal of the season.

Paul Lambert swung an inviting cross into the back post to Bobo Balde, from Sylla’s short corner.

The defender directed the ball across goal and Sutton’s looping effort came back off the crossbar to the grateful Swede, who had the easiest of opportunities to head home from close range.

Larsson clearly enjoyed ramming the words of his critics back down their throats and he almost played Stilian Petrov through moments later, but the Bulgarian was unable to control his pass.

Sutton tried a speculative right-foot effort soon after, but Marshall was relieved to watch the ball fly well over.

Kilmarnock suffered more misery in the 36th minute when Canero was stretchered away after an innocuous incident and Jim Jefferies was forced to alter his line-up with Ally Mitchell joining the action.

The visitors tightened up at the back as the half-time whistle approached, but it was far too late to avoid another defeat.

The crowd became as lethargic as the heroes they had paid money to see in the second half and the biggest cheers came when some Kilmarnock fans were escorted from the stadium in the corner.

Jefferies was the first manager to try and raise the tempo of the game by making a double substitution in the 64th minute when Gary Hay and Kris Boyd came on for Giacomo and Jose Quitongo.

But his changes had the opposite affect and Sutton scored his second and Celtic’s fourth of the afternoon in the 65th minute when Larsson again teed him up in the box to fire home.

O’Neill immediately made changes of his own, bringing on John Hartson and Didier Agathe for Petrov and Sylla and Balde was the next Celtic player to be rested in the 74th minute as young striker Shaun Maloney also came on.

Hartson almost got on the end of Guppy’s centre in the 80th minute, but Barry McLaughlin diverted the ball behind, although referee Kenny Clark and his assistants somehow failed to notice his touch.

Hartson again went close to netting his first of the game in the 85th minute after an impressive spurt of pace down the left flank.

He exchanged passes with Larsson, but he watched his side-foot effort crashed into the side netting.

The Swede almost notched his hat-trick late on when Hartson’s intended pass fell into his path, but Marshall was quick off his line to claim the ball at his feet.

Hartson again wasted a great chance moments later when Larsson slid the ball across the goalmouth, but the Kilmarnock keeper again did well to deny him.

The Welshman went even closer with seconds left on the clock when Guppy skipped past two challenges and found him at the back post, but his effort came back off the upright.

But the fifth came with the last kick of the match after Maloney had been upheld by Mitchell in the area and Larsson drove the ball into the back of the net to complete a stunning hat-trick.