CELTS NEED DANE RELIEF

Schmeichel's finest hour for Hoops as he earns corn with Ayrshire shut out

- MICHAEL GANNON

KASPER SCHMEICHEL has been collecting more clean sheets than Widow Twankey's laundrette this season.

But the Celtic keeper hasn't had to work quite this hard before to keep the bedding intact and restore his side's place at the top of the pile.

Brendan Rodgers revealed that his Bhoys were glowing after RB Leipzig, They were certainly blowing after Kilmarnock gave the champions as stiff a test as they've face all season - at home or abroad.

Defeat was extremely harsh on Derek McInnes' men, who poured everything into causing Celtic ast much grief as anyone-and more than RB, that's for sure.

The Rugby Park side went toe-totoe and Celts needed Schmeichel to play a blinder to keep them at bay.

The big Dane has picked up shut outs in nine of 11 league games this term but in some of them he could have nicked out to the shops for a loaf.

Not this time. Schmeichel earned his dough and then some.

It was a hang-on job at times before and after Callum McGregor's shallow cross crept into the corner of the net.

And it wasn't until Nicholas Kuhn maintained his incredible run of form by grabbing a second on the break when Celts could finally breathe.

There are times to put on a show.

This was one to collect the points and get the heck out of Dodge.

Killie might have been missing big players like Stuart Findlay and Danny Armstrong but they are never overawed by the opportunity to trip up either of the Glasgow big two. This was another afternoon when they didn't give a stuff about reputations.

Celtic wrapped up the title last term with a stunning 5-0 win in these parts but also lost in the league and Premier Sports Cup, while Rangers left with a dull one a few weeks ago.