Celtic 4 Kilmarnock 6 U19s CAS Elite League

Kilmarnock produced an outstanding away performance to come away with all three points in yesterday’s Under-19s CAS Elite League fixture against Celtic.

Kris Doolan’s side bounced back from disappointment against Rangers last time out, with the boys showing their learnings from that narrow defeat at Auchenhowie, to beat Celtic 6-4 at Lennoxtown on Wednesday afternoon.

On-form Noah Simpson bagged a brace, while Cole Bickerton, Connor Sweeney, Max McInally and John-Joe Leddy also scored for Killie.

The visitors raced into an early quickfire lead through Simpson and Bickerton, before Celtic pulled a goal back moments later on 18 minutes. The hosts would equalise before the first-half was out, before taking the lead for the first time in the match just six minutes after half-time.

However, Doolan’s side fought back, putting in a blistering second-half performance, putting Celtic to the sword to highlight their superiority after a change of shape at half-time, which helped to show the team’s quality.

Sweeney levelled the game on 63 minutes, before Simpson – who is doing well at loan club Gala Fairydean Rovers – netted his second of the game as Killie re-took the lead shortly after. Goals by McInally – who made an instant impact from the bench, finding the net instinctively around 30 seconds after coming on – and Leddy incredibly added a fifth and a sixth for Killie, before Celtic scored a penalty with the last kick of the game to make the scoreline look tighter than the game suggested.

The result was a testament to the full squad, with everyone playing their part in helping to maintain a high tempo, keeping the intensity in the performance to gain such a big win.

Killie have won four of their five matches so far in this season’s CAS Elite League, and sit top of the table.

Team: Armour, Feeney, Lusk, Leddy, Spence, Bickerton, Foster, Law, Frew, Simpson, Sweeney.

Subs: Cumming, McInally, Orr, Peacock.