Hoops keep the pressure on title
rivals
 Celtic opened
up an eight-point gap on nearest rivals Hearts with a 2-1 win over Motherwell
at the weekend while the Tynecastle club were humbled 2-0 at home by Kilmarnock.
The stuttering Rangers meanwhile needed a late goal from Nacho Novo to
seal a 3-2 win at Love Street after John Sutton — brother of former
Hoops striker Chris — had levelled for St. Mirren on 78 minutes,
having opened the scoring on five minutes.
The Bhoys went 2-0 up thanks to a Maciej Zurawski brace but a goal from
Scott McDonald — whose late strike on the last day of the 2005 season
ruined Celtic’s title dream — ensured a nervy finale.
Celtic now face Hearts’ conquerors Kilmarnock at Rugby Park this
Sunday hoping for a repeat of the opening day of the season when they
cruised to a 4-1 victory at Parkhead.
The omens for Gordon Strachan’s side are good however with the Hoops
last dropping points against Killie in a 1-1 draw at Rugby Park in December
2002.
Since then Celtic have had a phenomenal record against Kilmarnock —winning
the last 13 meetings, all in the SPL — scoring 39 goals and conceding
only eight.
Celtic’s biggest concerns however are off the pitch, with Shaun
Maloney’s protracted contract talks having dragged on for seven
months now.
The player can sign a pre-contract agreement in January and Chelsea are
said to be interested.
That would mean Celtic losing arguably their most valuable asset for nothing
but the Celtic hierarchy appear not to have learnt from their past mistakes
having lost Liam Miller and Jackie McNamara in similar fashion.
But the Celtic striker said: “Hopefully a deal will be sorted out.
My preferred option is to stay — I have said that from day one seven
months ago. But the deal has to be right and that is the main thing.
“I would have liked a deal to be done a lot quicker but both parties
have to be happy and until that happens it will not be signed.”
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