Kasper Hogh plundered a first-half hat-trick as Celtic crushed Kilmarnock 5-1 at Rugby Park, handing manager Martin O'Neill the ideal tonic while he recuperates at home following a short hospital stay.
The big Dane opened the scoring inside 63 seconds, nodding in from a back-post dink by Arne Engels. Benjamin Nygren was gifted a fourth, and Luke McCowan slammed in number five after Michael Schjonning-Larsen nabbed one back for Neil McCann's men.
Hogh runs riot
Hogh needed to be more patient on his debut against Dundee, but he didn't hang about here. Killie had a go at 1-0 down, with Auston Trusty blocking Tyreece John-Jules on the line before Erik Ring dragged wide and Greg Kiltie fired across the face.
But Celts warmed up, and Hogh put the hosts to bed. Keeper Max Stryjek produced some heroics to keep the Hoops at bay, but he could only do so much. Hogh plundered his second after 33 minutes when Nygren nudged into his path and he drilled into the bottom corner. The trio was complete two minutes later with a diving header after an exquisite clip from Duran.
Second-half surge
Stryjek chucked in a nightmare fourth two minutes into the second period when he passed straight to Nygren, allowing the Swede to bury. Duran thumped the bar, but Killie clawed one back soon after when Schjonning-Larsen drilled home after a neat move involving Tom Lowery cutting in from the right. Hogh thumped the woodwork, but McCowan hooked in the scraps from a corner to make it a fantastic five.
Here are Record Sport's five talking points from Ayrshire.
Manager rest assured
O'Neill has been ordered to take it easy after his 'small procedure', and he couldn't have asked for a more stress-free afternoon's viewing. Shaun Maloney was a safe pair of hands as Celts cruised to their biggest away win since May 2025. The Hoops have made heavy weather of plenty of trips in the last year, but there was much more of a cutting edge about the champions as they got the ball forward quickly and were clinical when it mattered.
Hogh dunnit
Celtic fans have been craving a goal-scoring hero, and they finally have one. Hogh said he forgot his shooting boots against Dundee, but he was locked and loaded here. The big Dane thrives on service and proved if his pals tee him up, he'll take care of the rest. He's a proper penalty box poacher, lapping up his chances and picking up the perfect positions. There was some decent link-up play as well, forging impressive connections with Nygren and Duran in particular.
Return of the Bunnet
Fergus McCann, the man who saved Celtic, took a seat in the Rugby Park stands. McCann has hero status among the Hoops support for stepping in at the club's hour of need in the 90s, but he got booed on Flag Day just a few months after Celts stopped Rangers' quest for 10-in-a-row. The present-day board know that feeling too, but the mood music will be completely different if a couple of smash hits like Hogh check in ahead of the Champions League play-off in just over a week.
Arne back
Midfielder Engels was a bit out of sorts on Flag Night but was at his best at Rugby Park as he clocked his 100th appearance for the Hoops. The best question remains whether it will be his last. West Ham haven't gone away despite a couple of big money bids bounced by Celtic chiefs. O'Neill is almost resigned to losing the Belgian this summer, but if Celts can dig in and keep hold of him until after the Champions League showdown with LASK, it could be worth as much as any transfer fee.
Life's a pitch
The new Rugby Park pitch looks sensational, unlike Kilmarnock's defending. The new £1.5m surface is a welcome return after 12 years on plastic, but the team were far from slick at the back. Having shipped four to St Johnstone on week one, it could have been even worse here. McCann went man-for-man at the back and got torn to pieces, while individual mistakes piled on the misery. They play some nice stuff going forward, but unless they tighten up, the pitch will be the only smooth thing in Ayrshire this season.
