KILMARNOCK 1 CELTIC 5
KASPER HOGH delivered the perfect answer to critics who suggested he may be a very expensive waste of money after he fired blanks in his debut against Dundee at Parkhead on Monday.
The Danish striker, who arrived in a record £11million-plus from Bodo/Glimt, made his detractors eat their words with a breathtaking 34-minute hurricane hat-truck in the champions’ runaway triumph at Rugby Park this afternoon.
Benjamin Nygren and Luke McCowan added gloss to the scoreline with two second-half efforts.
POINTING THE WAY AHEAD…hat-trick hero Kasper Hogh.
Hogh scored his first Celtic goal in 64 SECONDS against Killie and had added another two as the shell-shocked hosts could hardly believe what had hit them.
The opener was exquisite in the build-up and execution.
Kieran Tierney knocked a pass out to Arne Engels on the left and the Belgian playmaker swung over a superb ball to the back post.
Hogh materialised from practically under the crossbar as he timed his run to perfection and he did the necessary with a neat header.
His second arrived in the 32nd minute after some clever play from Camilo Duran and Nygren as the ball was worked cross the box from the right.
Hogh was left unmarked for a moment and that was all he needed to snap up the opportunity and whip a shot low past Max Stryjek to his left.
Only moments later, the powerhouse raider had claimed a treble with Duran involved again coming in from the right.
The cross eliminated Jamie Brandon and Hogh dived to get his had to the ball and once again the keeper was helpless.
NUMBER ONE…Kasper Hogh rises at the far post to head past Killie keeper Max Stryjek.
NUMBER TWO…Kasper Hogh fires in as Yang Hyun-jun gets a close-up view.
NUMBER THREE…Kieran Tierney acclaims hat-trick hero Kasper Hogh.
Hogh took a bow in front of his new army of admirers and it must be admitted Martin O’Neill, watching at home following his medical procedure earlier in the week, would no doubt have nodded his approval of his players.
The champions had an astonishing FOURTEEN attempts at goal in the first half-hour with seven on target.
Nygren was out of luck with an effort that Stryjek touched onto the crossbar with the overworked shotstopper called into action eleven times to repel the visitors throughout the encounter.
Colby Donovan replaced Alistair Johnston for the second-half – and within two minutes the Hoops were celebrating goal No.4.
It was a howler from Stryjek who had worked wonders to keep the Hoops from running amok.
On this occasion, though, the keeper was wayward with a pass out of defence and sent the ball straight to the lurking Nygren on the edge of the box.
The Swede accepted the gift before lashing a drive high into the net.
Two minutes later, Duran was denied by the woodwork when he cut in from the right to curl a left-foot attempt over Stryjek. Unfortunately, the ball clattered off the crossbar and was cleared.
HEAVEN’S ABOVE…Kasper Hogh celebrates as he looks to the skies.
There was a consolation for the hosts in the 56th minute when Michael Larsen found himself unmarked on the left as the Hoops defence momentarily fell asleep.
He finished with a crisp drive wide of the sprawling Viljami Sinisalo from 12 yards.
In the 64th minute, Sebastian Tounekti came on for Duran and moved to the left with Yang Hyun-jun switching to the opposite flank.
Five minutes later, Hogh hit the keeper’s left-hand post with a six-yard header after an inviting cross from the Tunisian.
McCowan and James Forrest were introduced to proceedings in the 74th minute as they took over from Yang and Nygren.
And McCowan was celebrating Celtic’s fifth goal with his first touch of the ball.
Engels swept over a dangerous left-wing corner-kick and the ball was jostled into the path of the midfielder who hooked a drive wide of the struggling Stryjek.
With nine minutes of the regulation 90 to play, hat-trick hero Hogh came off to a standing ovation as Callum Osmand took his place.
If this game is a sign of things to come, the Celtic support are in for thrills aplenty from the Dane.
TEAM: Sinisalo; Johnston (sub: Donovan 46), Carter-Vickers, Trusty, Tierney; Nygren (sub: McCowan 74), McGregor, Engels; Duran (sub: Tounekti 64), Hogh (sub: Osmand 81), Yang (sub: Forrest 74).
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