'You could just sniff it': Derek McInnes makes Celtic claim after guiding Kilmarnock to stunning win

The Killie boss was delighted with his team’s second-half response against the champions

Kilmarnock manager Derek McInnes admitted he felt Celtic were there for the taking in their 2-1 Premiership victory at Rugby Parkas soon as his side had fought back to level terms.

The win was the product of piling pressure on the Scottish champions across the second period as is rarely witnessed on the domestic scene. Kilmarnock earned a deserved reward with a 87th-minute counter-attacking winner that brought a first goal in their colours from Matty Kennedy after a Nat Phillips own goal in the 75th minute that had cancelled out a Matt O’Riley opener just after the half-hour mark.

“I thought we passed up too many opportunities before we did score [but] thankfully when we did get the goal you could just sniff the victory, you could feel it,” said McInnes. “More importantly, my players felt it and thankfully we got the second goal that I felt we deserved. It was a game of two halves, but I thought we were the better, more dominant, team in that second half.

Kilmarnock manager Derek McInnes celebrates with his players after beating Celtic 2-1 at Rugby Park.

“Half time came at a good time. My job is to help my players win a game, whatever way we do that. The players needed reminding of what we had to be. And if half time didn’t come when it did… I know we had two brilliant chances to score, but the truth of it is that Celtic’s possession would have been through the roof in the first half. Whenever that’s the case you are never going to enjoy the game. The second half was a reverse and it’s a big ask to do that for 90 minutes. We had big performances then. It was everything I wanted from my team.

“Celtic are a brilliant side, with some brilliant individuals and it was a complete reverse. All of a sudden they were not enjoying the second half [as they had the first in dictating play] and that's the way it had to be. Whether any team can be the team we were second half for [a full] 90 minutes is probably unrealistic but thankfully we gave ourselves an opportunity to win it and I thought we thoroughly deserved it. And I am delighted for my players, because we do ask a lot of them and sometimes they need that reminder that they are better than they are. It's been a good few days winning at Aberdeen midweek and then beating Celtic.”