Keane shoots down critics

ROBBIE KEANE has brushed off the almost inevitable suggestion that he is benefiting from the lower standard of football in Scotland.

The Celtic striker grabbed a hat-trick at Rugby Park on Saturday to knock Kilmarnock out of the quarter-finals of the Active Nation Scottish Cup and take his tally to eight in eight games since arriving on loan from Tottenham Hotspur in January.

The Republic of Ireland forward is beginning to look a class apart and his treble against Killie followed a brace against Falkirk last week. However, when asked if people in England would look at his scoring record and claim it was easy north of the Border, Keane laughed and replied: "You can't win sometimes. I can only concentrate on what I do as a footballer and scoring goals is what I do best. If I continue to do that and help the team then that is the important thing.

"I didn't get much of the ball in the first half and you are always disappointed when that happens. But you have to give credit to Kilmarnock for that, they made it difficult for us in the first half, putting two midfielders in front of the back four.

"It was difficult to pass through but once we got the first goal the game was always going to open up."

Celtic ended up comfortable winners in the end but Allan Russell hit the woodwork twice before Keane's 63rd-minute opener turned the tie in the visitors' favour.