Scottish League Cup
CelticCeltic5KilmarnockKilmarnock0

Celtic 5-0 Kilmarnock

By Kenny CrawfordBBC Sport Scotland at Celtic Park
Leigh Griffiths scores
Leigh Griffiths followed his double against Hearts on Saturday with another brace against Kilmarnock

Five teenagers started for Celtic as the League Cup holders swept aside Kilmarnock to reach the quarter-finals.

Leigh Griffiths scored either side of Anthony Ralston's first senior goal for the club to make it 3-0 at half-time.

Captain for the night Kieran Tierney netted a wonderful strike from distance that will long live in his memory and the fans who witnessed it.

Stuart Armstrong tapped in to cap a straightforward night for Celtic and a sore one for Kilmarnock.

It was not a birthday to remember for Kilmarnock's Kirk Broadfoot as he and Gordon Greer looked to forge their new central defensive partnership in testing circumstances.

Anthony Ralston scores
Anthony Ralston rose to power home his side's second of the game.

Only Craig Gordon, Tierney and Griffiths continued with starting berths from the Celtic 11 that began the weekend's 4-1 Premiership victory over Hearts.

Manager Brendan Rodgers offered more first-team experience to Ralston (18), left-wing-back Calvin Miller (19) and recent signing from Ipswich Town Kundai Benyu (19).

Kristoffer Ajer (19) and Eboue Kouassi (19) were the others under the age of 20 handed the responsibility of helping Celtic get off to a smooth start in defending one part of the domestic treble they captured last season.

Tierney was deployed as a centre-back beside Ajer, who spent much of the 2016-17 campaign on loan at Kilmarnock, but the home defence had little to do.

Not so at the other end, and a silly foul from winger Jordan Jones on Jonny Hayes handed the hosts an early penalty that Griffiths fired into the bottom corner.

A memorable moment for Ralston soon followed when he headed in Griffiths' corner kick after being given too much space by the Killie defence.

Goalkeeper Jamie MacDonald could not stop that one but he did well to beat away a stinging effort from Griffiths and he went on to make an even better stop from Armstrong later.

The visitors had started Lee Erwin up front in place of Kris Boyd but the ball rarely made its way that far up the pitch as Killie were pinned back.

Kieran Tierney scores
Kieran Tierney scored his side's fourth with a sublime long-range effort

Tierney highlighted his ever-increasing skill-set in many ways in this match. Playing as captain and centre-back was only the beginning, as he impressed with a nice threaded pass to set up Griffiths for his fourth goal in two games - the striker springing a half-hearted Killie offside trap before calmly slotting in to give his team a 3-0 lead at the break.

Tierney then sent a 40-yard screamer high into the top corner for Celtic's fourth. It was a terrific strike that the man, already capped four times for Scotland, will struggle to better in what promises to be a bright future.

The busy Hayes scampered down the right for his second assist of the night, sending an inviting low cross for Armstrong to side-foot home from close-range.

One negative for Celtic was a nasty looking injury for Kouassi, who was taken off after jarring what looked like his knee or ankle.

Leigh Griffiths scores
Leigh Griffiths got Celtic off to the perfect start by slotting home from the spot

Line-ups

Celtic

Formation 4-2-3-1

  • 1Gordon
  • 56Ralston
  • 35Ajer
  • 63Tierney
  • 59Miller
  • 88KouassiSubstituted forNtchamat 40'minutes
  • 14S Armstrong
  • 15Hayes
  • 18Rogic
  • 26BenyuSubstituted forMcGregorat 70'minutes
  • 9GriffithsSubstituted forForrestat 64'minutes

Substitutes

  • 6Bitton
  • 11Sinclair
  • 21Ntcham
  • 23Lustig
  • 24de Vries
  • 42McGregor
  • 49Forrest

Kilmarnock

Formation 4-5-1

  • 1MacDonald
  • 20WilsonSubstituted forO'Donnellat 59'minutes
  • 4Greer
  • 5Broadfoot
  • 12Taylor
  • 29Burke
  • 7McKenzieBooked at 61mins
  • 6Power
  • 21Frizzell
  • 11JonesSubstituted forGrahamat 45'minutes
  • 22Erwin

Substitutes

  • 2O'Donnell
  • 9Boyd
  • 15Thomas
  • 18Waters
  • 19Samizadeh
  • 26Bell
  • 30Graham
Referee:
Alan Muir
Attendance:
27,407

Match Stats

Home TeamCelticAway TeamKilmarnock
Possession
Home70%
Away30%
Shots
Home26
Away2
Shots on Target
Home12
Away0
Corners
Home9
Away0
Fouls
Home9
Away7

Live Text

  1. Post update

    Match ends, Celtic 5, Kilmarnock 0.

  2. Full Time

    Second Half ends, Celtic 5, Kilmarnock 0.

  3. Post update

    Attempt missed. Kristoffer Ajer (Celtic) header from the centre of the box is high and wide to the right following a corner.

  4. Post update

    Corner, Celtic. Conceded by Jamie MacDonald.

  5. Post update

    Attempt saved. Tomas Rogic (Celtic) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the top left corner.

  6. Post update

    James Forrest (Celtic) wins a free kick on the right wing.

  7. Post update

    Foul by Gordon Greer (Kilmarnock).

  8. Post update

    Attempt blocked. Chris Burke (Kilmarnock) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked.

  9. Post update

    Delay in match James Forrest (Celtic) because of an injury.

  10. Post update

    Attempt blocked. Rory McKenzie (Kilmarnock) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.

  11. Post update

    Attempt saved. Stuart Armstrong (Celtic) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal.

  12. Post update

    Attempt blocked. James Forrest (Celtic) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.

  13. Post update

    Attempt missed. Tomas Rogic (Celtic) left footed shot from outside the box is just a bit too high.

  14. Post update

    Attempt blocked. Stuart Armstrong (Celtic) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.

  15. Post update

    Callum McGregor (Celtic) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

  16. Post update

    Foul by William Graham (Kilmarnock).

  17. Post update

    Tomas Rogic (Celtic) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  18. Post update

    Foul by Alan Power (Kilmarnock).

  19. Goal!

    Goal! Celtic 5, Kilmarnock 0. Stuart Armstrong (Celtic) left footed shot from very close range to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Anthony Ralston.

  20. Substitution

    Substitution, Celtic. Callum McGregor replaces Kundai Benyu.

As It Stood

A

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Falkirk44001311212
2Inverness CT42115328
3Stirling42116517
4Brechin401319-82
5Forfar4013310-71

B

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Dunfermline42201331010
2Peterhead43017619
3Hearts42117437
4East Fife411236-34
5Elgin4004213-110

C

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Dundee Utd4310102811
2Dundee431082610
3Raith Rovers42029546
4Cowdenbeath4103511-63
5Buckie Thistle4004315-120

D

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Hibernian43101311210
2Ross County422080810
3Arbroath412167-16
4Montrose4103215-133
5Alloa401328-61

E

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Ayr44001531212
2Kilmarnock43019369
3Clyde4202711-46
4Annan Athletic4013210-82
5Dumbarton401328-61

F

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Motherwell44001221012
2Morton42118628
3Queen's Park42119907
4Edinburgh City4013312-92
5Berwick401347-31

G

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Hamilton422011659
2Albion413012937
3Queen of Sth41306427
4East Kilbride411259-45
5Stenhousemuir401339-62

H

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Livingston431083511
2Partick Thistle431092710
3St Mirren42029726
4Airdrieonians4103410-63
5Stranraer4004412-80
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