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Kilmarnock v Celtic - Scottish Cup as it happened

Live text commentary of the Scottish Cup quarter final between Kilmarnock and Celtic at Rugby Park. Remember to refresh your page for the latest.

Grant Russell

By Grant Russell

13 March 2010 12:00 GMT

163404

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Kilmarnock 0-3 Celtic (Keane 63, 80, 81)
Scottish Cup quarter final, Rugby Park, Saturday March 13 2010

Tony Mowbray wasn't happy with his team's first half showing: "The first half wasn't good enough really and we made the players aware of that at half-time and thankfully we found the right formula to get the right result.

"We needed to be better and we were. Ultimately this team has to find standards that are very, very high and sustain them for 90 minutes."

FULL TIME: Kilmarnock 0-3 Celtic. Well that's that, the Robbie Keane show is sufficient for Celtic to advance against Kilmarnock at Rugby Park. Killie gave them a game in the first half but Celtic came into it in the second half and Keane's contribution has sent them into the semi-finals. Match reaction to follow.

In the meantime, we've got all the latest from Saturday's other Scottish Cup, SPL and SFL action. Hibs have already started their game with Ross County, so click through to see how they are getting on against their First Division opponents.

90 mins: Two minutes to be added on as Kilmarnock go looking for a late goal to give them a boost.

87 mins: Mark Wilson swings one in and Keane almost connects with his head to make it four but he doesn't see it until late and doesn't make a good connection.

86 mins: Killie are pushing for a late consolation but all the wind seems to have been knocked out of their sails here. They were simply blown away by that goal spurt from Robbie Keane. I did question whether Kilmarnock could keep up their first half efforts and they seem to have proved me right, they just ran out of puff.

83 mins: Two changes for Kilmarnock. Wright's been replaced by Kiernan and Burchill comes off for Invincible.

Celtic also make a change, with Mark Wilson making a rare appearance at right back in the place of Andreas Hinkel.

81 mins: GOAL TO CELTIC and it's Robbie Keane with a hat-trick. Wonderful finish from Robbie Keane and Fortune is the provider once more. I've hardly had time to draw breath from typing out the last goal but Keane finds the puff to make it two goals in two minutes.

McGeady got the ball in his own half and threaded a perfect ball onto the run of Fortune. It was two versus one at the back and Fortune could have went it alone but he selfishly teed it up for Keane just behind the penalty spot. He wrapped his foot around the ball perfectly and found the bottom right corner.

80 mins: GOAL TO CELTIC and it's Robbie Keane again. Samaras retrieves the ball from a possible throw-in on the left and finds Fortune. The striker gets to the byline, drawing out three Kilmarnock defenders who left Keane standing wide open at the back post. Fortune squeezes his low cross through to the back and it is the simplest of tap-ins for the Irishman.

76 mins: Aiden McGeady tries a shot from outside the area on the left hand side. It's a fierce attempt but Bell parries it well with a low save, before Killie clear their lines.

75 mins: What is it with Scott Brown? He's penalised for a trip on Bryson and it is a free-kick, there's no question. But he feels the need to indulge in a bit of afters with the Killie man and there are a few words exchanged, leading to the referee calling him over for a chat. Killie wasted that particular oppourtunity, with Zaluska coming through a sea of bodies to claim the high ball.

73 mins: No way through for Killie at the moment, Celtic are holding onto the ball and the clock is running down fast here. Do the hosts have a goal in them?

70 mins: Glorious chance for Samaras. Severin's clearance is poor and the ball finds Keane, who plays in Samaras down the left just inside the box. Fraser Wright misses the ball and it is a tap in for the big Greek striker, albeit from a tight angle, but he drags his shot past the right hand post.

67 mins: Celtic are settling in now, the introduction of Fortune is causing bother for Kilmarnock and they can't get on the ball quite yet. Time for Jimmy Calderwood to think fast to salvage something from this game.

63 mins: GOAL TO CELTIC and it's Robbie Keane. A real opportunistic effort from Keane, Braafheid's long ball from left back goes over the heads of the entire Kilmarnock backline. Keane latches onto the bounce, just beats a despairing Scott Severin to the ball, rounds Bell and taps it home.

60 mins: Fortune latches onto Scott Brown's penetrating through ball but his shot is blocked by a diving Wright. Keane then gets a bite at it but Bell is out quickly to smother the ball at his feet from 10 yards out.

56 mins: Double change for Celtic as they look to get the goal they need. Rasmussen off, Samaras on and Crosas off, Fortune on. That's three up front for Celtic now: Keane, Samaras and Fortune. Menacing.

55 mins: This is probably a good opportunity to point out that I am no relation to the blundering Kilmarnock striker.

53 mins: Oh dear oh dear Allan Russell. He misses a golden chance. Kelly's cross from the left bounces awkwardly up in front of O'Dea and Russell pounces but he can't control it either and he knees it past the post from four yards. Surely that will bring Celtic to life now, what a let off.

51 mins: Free kick to Kilmarnock on the edge of the area after Bryson is felled by a blatent trip by Marc Crosas. Taouil lines it up and there's four in the wall but his shot whizzes over Zaluska's crossbar. Not too far away.

48 mins: Great save from Cammy Bell! McGeady again has a shot at goal just inside the area on the left hand side after Keane's effort is blocked but the keeper reacts superbly to tip the ball over the bar. Killie need to get the ball quickly and keep it on Celtic will get a goal.

47 mins: Robbie Keane gets to the byline on the right and sends over a perfect cross for McGeady, who catches the ball sweetly on the volley. Fraser Wright though is on hand in the nick of time to head it off the line.

Second half: Here we go then! Both teams are back out and there has to be a goal in it. It could go either way, Celtic to kick off with Rasmussen and Keane in the centre circle.

13.15: Some interesting views from Scott McDonald today, as we wait for the second half. McDonald has criticised Tony Mowbray for letting him and other experienced players Gary Caldwell and Barry Robson go in January.

47 mins: And nothing else of note happens in that one minute and we've got the half time whistle.

Well no goals here at the interval but both teams have created enough openings for there to have been one. Robbie Keane had Celtic's best chance in acres of room but Cammy Bell did brilliantly to get out quick and charge down his shot.

The home side have had the most of the ball in the first half though and have made a few opportunities but have had no takers. They are in the game. Can they keep up with the pace in the second half though? They have been closing down at double speed and you have to wonder if they have the stamina to keep that up as the game goes on. It could still go either way.

44 mins: One minute added on at the end of the first half.

43 mins: Another poor challenge by Tim Clancy and he goes in the book this time. He absolutely clatters Scott Brown in the challenge and it's another sore one. Yellow card.

42 mins: Just seen a re-run of an incident which saw Fraser Wright go down in his own box. It looks like Rasmussen's reputation might be sneaking into play a little, he's floored the Kilmarnock defender with a stray arm. None of the officials noticed that time.

40 mins: Brilliant play by Bryson on the right flank. He rounds N'Guemo and then sticks it through Braafheid's legs before delivering a good, low cross into the box. But Burchill makes his run too soon and it just eludes him, with no takers in a gaping hole at the back stick.

39 mins: Good build up play by Kilmarnock and Russell tries his luck from distance on the left but his effort is tame, straight into Zaluska's hands.

38 mins: Great play by McGeady on the left, he terrorises Russell and then swings a deadly right footed cross in. O'Dea almost connects at the back post but Wright just nods it behind for a corner, which unfortunately comes to nothing.

35 mins: Kelly delivers a telling ball into the box from the right hand side and for one brief moment, it looked as if Thompson had turned it into his own net, but he just got it clear. Celtic break straight up the park and it's Hinkel's turn to deliver from the right flank. His ball is ahead of both Keane and Rasmussen but Fraser Wright gets a touch goalwards, which Bell manages to gather.

33 mins: That said, Kilmarnock are playing some nice stuff but they just can't seem to engineer the final ball. Craig Bryson is played in nicely by Taouil but he's stretching for it and Zaluska is on hand to mop up. Killie could have done with being a bit more patient there.

32 mins: It's all got a bit scrappy now, neither team seem able to hold onto the ball for more than five seconds at a time.

28 mins: Terrible, clumsy challenge by Clancy on Rasmussen. The two go into together for a ball on the right flank and his challenge is late on the Dane's knee. The officials miss it somehow, Rasmussen seems okay but it could have been a nasty one.

25 mins: Another big chance for Russell. He gets the better of Thompson as he connects with Burchill's flick, turning the young Englishman. The ball doesn't bounce kindly for the former Airdrie man and he has to catch it on the half volley at an angle, which ends up with the ball in the stands.

21 mins: Robbie Keane misses a big chance for Celtic! After fluffing his volley after McGeady's original cross, Crosas' direct ball back into the box finds him in acres of space and all he has to do is turn and find the net. It's fair to say Keane, who looked offside but on replays clearly wasn't, did everything right. But Cammy Bell spread himself superbly and got off his line quickly to close down and block the shot.

20 mins: Celtic are starting to see a bit more of the ball now and their close control in midfield is pretty. But Kilmarnock are closing them down so quickly. It's admirable determination from Killie but you have to worry if they have the legs to harass like this for 90 minutes.

19 mins: Allan Russell's bowl cut is fantastic, one my mother would have been proud of in my school days. He resembles Scott Crabbe a fair bit, come to think of it.

16 mins: Free kick to Celtic on the right hand side, about 25 yards from goal. Braafheid's effort dips nicely over the wall but Bell is equal to his effort, saving the ball confidently just before it bounced in front of him in the middle of the goal.

14 mins: Huge chance for Kilmarnock! McGeady is dispossessed in midfield by Bryson and Burchill surges at the Celtic defence. He feeds it left to Russell, who beats a sprawling Zaluska but clips the top left corner of the bar. Agonisingly close.

11 mins: Another Bryson corner from the right which was headed clear to Scott Brown on the edge of the area but Russell's shot from the edge of the box was high and wide. Wright's finally back on the pitch now too. Must have found that key.

10 mins: Second corner to Kilmarnock but Craig Bryson's ball into the box is headed clear. The Kilmarnock forward players are closing down the Celtic defence quickly on the ball and they are not liking it one bit. In the time it took me to write that, Killie have yet another corner.

9 mins: I've always wondered about Kilmarnock's tunnel. Why is it so narrow? You can only get one person up it at a time. Is it deliberate? Or just the best they could do once the requirement came in for a covered tunnel? Anyone who knows, get in touch.

7 mins: Fraser Wright's taken a nasty one in the face from Andreas Hinkel's elbow. With blood pouring out from above his eye, he's off  for some stitches. Unfortunately, the physio didn't have the key for the treatment room, so had to run off with Wright standing waiting, holding some tissue on his wound. Oh dear.

6 mins: Scott Brown has Celtic's first chance and it would have been some goal if it had came off. He picked the ball up on the right, charged past the Killie full-back and cut inside on a weaving run. With the space opening up in front of him, his left foot shot was just past Bell's left hand post.

4 mins: Kilmarnock are enjoying the better of the possession just now but their long balls forward are being dealt with by the Celtic defence. A miscue from Josh Thompson though gives them their first corner of the match. Zaluska just does enough to punch it away.

12.15: And we're off. Celtic are in their bumblebee away kit. Kilmarnock race out of the starting blocks and apply some pressure to the visting defence and a looping ball gives Zaluska his first touch.

12.13: So it's a return to the team for Scott Brown as the players wait to come up the tunnel. Zaluska is preferred to Boruc, who is rested and the Rasmussen and Keane strike partnership gets another outing. Just two changes to the Celtic team from the side the beat Falkirk, with Samaras the other player to miss out.

For Killie, Mark Burchill will get the chance to get a goal against his former club, he will be partnered by Allan Russell, with Mehdi Taouil in support.

12:10: Okay here we go, here's today's teams. Kilmarnock: Bell, Clancy, Wright, Severin, Kelly, Taouil, Bryson, Hamill, Fowler, Burchill, Russell.

Subs: Robinson, Hay, Invincibile, Fernandez, Kiernan.

Celtic: Zaluska, Hinkel, Thompson, O'Dea, Braafheid, N'Guemo, Brown, Crosas, McGeady, Rasmussen, Keane.

Subs: Cervi, Samaras, Fortune, Wilson, Ki.

12.05: There's two other games in today's Scottish Cup, with Hibernian hosting Ross County from 2pm and then Dundee against Raith Rovers from 3pm. All the goals as they happen here on STV Sport.

Three SPL games also get the go-ahead today with all six participants already out of the Scottish Cup this season. Falkirk host St Johnstone, it's Hamilton v St Mirren and Motherwell v Hearts. All the team news and previews as they come in.

If you're partial to a bit of rugby as well, there's live text commentary direct from Murrayfield today from 4pm with Rory Hamilton. You can read Rory's Scotland v England match preview beforehand as well.

12.00: Afternoon, welcome to STV Sport's live text commentary of today's Scottish football action. First up, it is Kilmarnock v Celtic from Rugby Park. Kick-off is in 15 minutes, so I'll bring you the team lineups in a second.

Here's the pre-match thoughts of some of those involved in today's action. Remember, Kilmarnock beat Celtic 1-0 back in February on league business in what was Robbie Keane's debut. You can read our Kilmarnock v Celtic preview before the match starts as well.

Marc Crosas, Celtic midfielder: “I think the most important thing is that we are going to play for the only title that is in our own hands right now. Everyone knows what our position is in the league so we have to do our best and make sure we get to Hampden.

“We know Kilmarnock will make it difficult for us, we know how they play at home, we lost there last month so we will be ready for it and, hopefully, we can go through."

Kilmarnock assistant manager, Jimmy Nicholl:  "People will say we beat them last time but this is totally different. If you play the Old Firm you have to fear losing, fear getting humiliated and getting beat by five or six.

“That drives you on, you are pumped up and you are driven on. I have seen it when my teams have played against the Old Firm. That's why people ask the question, 'How come you did that against Rangers and Celtic and you don't do it against the team at the bottom?'

"If Celtic keep getting told that this is their last chance for silverware they will be more determined to do something about it. If their players have the fear of losing then that makes it really hard for us."

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