Samaras double brings Celtic to touching distance of table top
FT: Celtic 2 Kilmarnock 1
A Georgios Samaras double against Kilmarnock took Celtic to within a point of Clydesdale Bank Premier League leaders Rangers ahead of Wednesday night’s Old Firm game at Parkhead.
The Greece striker headed the home side into the lead in first-half injury time and scored his second with a fine drive seven minutes after the break to make it eight SPL wins in a row for Celtic.
Killie substitute Danny Racchi scored a consolation with three minutes remaining, but with Rangers losing at St Mirren, the Hoops now have a chance to go top of the table heading into 2012.
Killie were more or less reduced to keeping Celtic at bay while the home support chanted ’Bring on the Rangers’.
Another good run down the right by Cha ended with the full-back crossing perfectly to Ki Sung-yueng, but his fellow South Korean miskicked from 12 yards and an increasingly bedraggled Killie side escaped punishment.
In the 87th minute substitute Danny Racchi, on for Shiels, rifled in a shot from 25 yards to make it a nervy ending, with Wanyama blocking a goalbound shot by Harkins moments later.
But the cheers at full-time indicated that the Celtic supporters fancy their chances against their city rivals in midweek.