It might have felt like a run-of-the-mill outing as Kilmarnock became the latest lamb to the slaughter at Celtic Park, but there was nothing routine about this one for Kieran Tierney.

The 20-year-old made his own little bit of history when he emerged from the tunnel sporting the captain’s armband, with immediate impressions suggesting he is the youngest Celtic player to take that particular accolade. It has since been relaised that Roy Aitken holds that particular honour.

If that wasn’t significant in itself, Tierney supplemented the privilege with a goal befitting any stage. Collecting the ball inside the semi-circle before striding forward and unleashing a rasping effort that flew into the top corner of Jamie MacDonald’s beleaguered net, the Scotland internationalist made sure of his own Kodak moment.

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By that stage the game was well won. Indeed, by the 25-minute game this was a game that was well won, but Tierney’s strike was Celtic in kind; relentless, driven, hungry.

For many, the sight of Tierney with the armband will be a portent of what is to come in the years ahead but for last night it was about the here and now.

Well, mostly. The performances of Anthony Ralston, who netted a fine goal with a bulleted header and then set up Stuart Armstrong for the fifth of the net, Calvin Miller, Eboue Kouassi, until he was forced off injured, and Kristoffer Ajer all suggest that Celtic’s underbelly will be schooled in producing more of the same.

This defence of the Betfred League Cup was safe before the half hour approached with Leigh Griffiths once more underlining his significance to Celtic. The striker netted the first from the spot to send Killie onto the back foot but the Ayrshire side never came off the ropes after that.

Ralston was quick with the second, Griffiths added a third after a delightful pass from Tierney but such was Celtic’s dominance that Craig Gordon barely muddied his gloves for the entire evening.

Griffiths’ goals take him to within just 11 goals of entry into the exclusive century club at Celtic and on this form it will not too long to get there.

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His only cause to earn a rebuke from the dug-out came when he went for his hat-trick and was denied by MacDonald when it would have made more sense to square the ball to the waiting Hayes.

Rodgers’ only other moment of consternation came when Kouassi had to be stretched off before the interval cam round.

It did little to disrupt Celtic’s rhythm but the youngster himself will feel aggrieved at missing the chance to make an impact.

With one eye on next week’s outing against Astana, this amounted to little more than another warm-up exercise for Brendan Rodgers’ side. The team sheet would have had cause for a few surprises given the eight changes and the five teenagers that were handed starting jerseys but that was the only deviation from the script.

The 49th undefeated domestic encounter under the Irishman - 50 including the one that came under Ronny Deila- was delivered with ease. Celtic started the game with a back four who boasted an average age of 19.5 but they would have left the pitch last night having been barely tested by Kilmarnock. Their inexperience did not detract from Celtic’s aura of impenetrability and between this and Saturday’s comprehensive win over Hearts, the feeling is very much that the current hold the Parkhead side have on the domestic game shows little sign of abating.

With the converse true at the other end of the pitch – Gordon Greer and Kirk Broadfoot were the marshalls at the heart of the Killie defence – and were ran ragged by the relentless running of Celtic’s forward men.

Armstrong had an effort parried onto the post just after the re-start and while there was an inevitable lull in proceedings given the sheer one-sided nature of the encounter, there was a feeling that Celtic always had another goal in them.

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Inevitably, they came as Kilmarnock trudged their way towards the 90-minute mark. Tierney’s wonder strike lifted the roof of the stadium and within minutes there was another.

Ralston added to his own burgeoning reputation when he completed a decent night’s work with an assist for Armstrong who had the simple task of tapping the ball in at the far post.

The season remains in its infancy but the 9 goals scored in Celtic’s opening two games suggest there is a feeling that this is a team who have the beating of their opponents before a ball has been kicked.

There was a fear about Kilmarnock that was exploited swiftly by Rodgers’ side, even a makeshift one with regards to regular personnel.

With the scent in their nostrils now it is a case of loading up nicely ahead of the season’s definitive encounter against Astana next Wednesday night, the play-off game that entirely sets the tone for the campaign.

Partick Thistle are the next warm-up act for that one and on this evidence they will not relish what delights await on Friday night at Firhill.