Glasgow | Celtic leave it very late against Kilmarnock

Kilmarnock 2 - 3 Celtic

Celtic recovered from a two-goal deficit to beat Kilmarnock and keep their Scottish title challenge firmly on track.

Author | Sean M

Stadium | Rugby Park

Tyreece John-Jules and Joe Hugill had put the hosts in a commanding position by the interval, rewarding a sharp and energetic first-half display.

Celtic, however, found a response after the break. Sebastian Tounekti and Benjamin Nygren drew the visitors level before Araujo settled a breathless contest late on, securing a third successive game-winning goal in added time.

The victory extended Celtic’s unbeaten run to 10 matches, with five wins in succession lifting them above Rangers into second place while their rivals prepared to host leaders Heart of Midlothian at Ibrox.

A fascinating 45 minutes

Kilmarnock, despite signs of encouragement under new manager Neil McCann, remain three points above the relegation play-off places, with St Mirren still looming below them.

Buoyed by their midweek win over St Mirren, the hosts began with purpose. Celtic threatened sporadically, Daizen Maeda forcing a sharp save from Kelle Roos, but Kilmarnock struck decisively on the counter.

John-Jules recovered his composure after a hesitant run into the area, slipping past Auston Trusty and bending a fine finish into the far corner. The striker then turned creator, floating a delicate cross into the six-yard box for Hugill to glance a header over Kasper Schmeichel.

The home side weathered late pressure before the interval, but Celtic’s changes at the break, including the introduction of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Tomas Cvancara and Tounekti, shifted the momentum.

Tounekti soon cut inside to find the far corner, and parity was restored when Nygren capitalised on a failure to clear a long throw to score his 13th league goal of the campaign.

John-Jules clipped the crossbar with a free-kick as both sides pushed for a winner, but Celtic finished the stronger. Their persistence was rewarded when a weary Kilmarnock defence failed to clear its lines, allowing the on-loan Bournemouth right-back Araujo to sweep in his first goal for the club and spark jubilant scenes among the travelling support.