Hogh's hat-trick inspires Celtic to 5-1 victory over Kilmarnock / Photo: Fredrik Varfjell - NTB/AFP
Hogh's hat-trick inspires Celtic to 5-1 victory over Kilmarnock
Kasper Hogh scored a hat-trick, his first goals for Celtic, as the Scottish champions made light of the absence of manager Martin O'Neill with a 5-1 win away to Kilmarnock on Sunday.
Victory made it two wins out of two Scottish Premiership games for Glasgow giants Celtic, with 74-year-old boss O'Neill missing the trip to Rugby Park after what the club had said earlier this week was a "small procedure" in hospital.
No details were given about O'Neill's operation, which came after the veteran Northern Irish boss took charge of Celtic's win against Dundee in their first game of the season.
But assistant manager Shaun Maloney, speaking before Sunday's kick-off, said O'Neill was on the mend.
"He is doing better again," Maloney told Sky Sports. "He came to the team hotel and spoke to the players but he just needs an extra few days."
And O'Neill's mood would doubtless have been improved by the performance of his side, with Celtic 3-0 ahead before half-time thanks to Hogh's treble.
The Danish striker needed less than a minute on Sunday to score his first Celtic goal, heading in at the back post from a cross by Arne Engels.
Hogh doubled Celtic's lead in the 33rd minute, with Camilo Duran seizing on Johnly Yfeko's pass out of defence.
He combined with Benjamin Nygren to work the ball to Hogh on the left edge of the box, with the forward finishing well.
Two minutes later, Hogh had his hat-trick.
Benjamin Nygren slipping the ball right for Duran, whose cross took Kilmarnock goalkeeper Max Stryjek out of play, with Hogh nodding into an empty net.
Celtic extended their lead early in the second half after they were effectively gifted a fourth goal by Stryjek.
His pass out of defence went straight to Nygren in front of goal and his shot into the top corner made it 4-0.
Michael Schjonning-Larsen pulled a goal back for Kilmarnock in the 56th minute after finishing a well-worked move.
But Celtic were four goals ahead again when substitute Luke McCowan, moments after coming on, volleyed in from close range 15 minutes from time after Kilmarnock made a mess of trying to clear the ball from a corner.
In Sunday's other Scottish Premiership matches, Hearts -- last season's runners-up -- are at home to Dundee United as they look to bounce back from their opening-day defeat by Aberdeen, with Rangers facing Hibernian at Ibrox.
D.Lynch--IP
