KASPER SCHMEICHEL proved to be unbeatable as he delivered a Man of the Match performance in Celtic’s 2-0 win over Kilmarnock at Rugby Park yesterday.
The Great Dane denied Derek McInnes’ side with a series of fine saves on his way to a ninth clean sheet in 11 Premiership outings.
The pick of the bunch from the towering shotstopper came in the 65th minute when he plunged to his left to push away a netbound drive from Matty Kennedy after the winger had been allowed to set up what looked like the perfect opportunity to equalise for the hosts.
FIST IN TIME…Kasper Schmeichel foils another Kilmarnock attack with a convincing punch.
Schmeichel, the much-decorated 38-year-old international netminder, had other ideas, though, as he got down in a green blur to divert the effort for a corner-kick.
The champions survived, drew a sigh of relief and netted the clinching goal six minutes later when Nicolas Kuhn waltzed onto an Alistair Johnston through pass before producing a sublime finish with a left-foot shot past the helpless Robby McCrorie.
Brendan Rodgers, who brought his former Leicester City netminder to Parkhead in the summer after Schmeichel had quit Anderlecht, told Celtic TV: “Both from a defensive perspective and offensively with the ball, Kasper allows us to play through.
“Some of his distribution was excellent.
“He hasn’t had a lot to do over the course of the season, but what he had to do on this occasion, he made some fantastic saves and we really appreciate that from him.
“You need your goalkeeper to turn up for away games like this and he did that.”
