CELTIC....................0

KILMARNOCK......0

Celtic were held to a stalemate by Kilmarnock after a frustrating afternoon for the Parkhead side.

With a critical game against Ajax in the Europa League on Thursday night, Ronny Deila had looked for a strong display to springboard Celtic into the meeting against the Dutch side.

Instead, it was a forgettable afternoon as Celtic had to settle for a point against a Kilmarnock side who set themselves up to offer maximum protection for goalkeeper Jamie MacDonald.

There was a boost for the Hoops beforehand with Scott Brown resuming his place in the middle of the park following an absence through injury, while Jozo Simunovic was also back in the team after being injured in the opening minutes of the Europa League defeat to Molde.

Stefan Johansen was rested in the hope that a break will encourage a return of the form that he produced last season but on this evidence he will not be overly fearful of getting back into the team.

It was a tousy opening period, reflected in the three bookings dished out by referee Bobby Madden - one apiece for Josh Magennis and Kallum Higginbotham while Dedryck Boyata also went into the book - and genuine chances were few and far between.

Inevitably, Celtic controlled the game and enjoyed the bulk of possession but aside from a Simunovic header that was blocked in the six-yard box there was little of real note at either end.

Leigh Griffiths came closest to breaking the deadlock when he had a free-kick palmed away by MacDonald in the Killie goal.

Nadir Ciftci was brought into the mix midway through the second period in an attempt to spark Celtic into life and trouble the visitors but by and large the Ayrshire side were successful in frustrating Deila's side.

Not that Gary Locke's side were entirely without chances of their own. While Kilmarnock defended in numbers they also showed an ability to attack Celtic on the break and one effort from substitute Greg Kiltie forced Carig Gordon to palm the effort wide of the target.

Minutes later Tope Obadeyi tested Gordon again when he cut in from the left before unleashing a shot that the Hoops keeper had to be alert to.

Deila sacrificed Emilio Izaguirre for Scott Allan with just over five minutes of regulation time remaining as he pushed for a winner.

It was Brown who thought he had claimed it with a fierce effort that was punched away by MacDonald but at the other end of pitch Simunovic was forced into a last-gasp tackle on Kiltie as Kilmarnock almost snatched a late lead.

A Boyata header from a Griffiths free-kick was acrobatically tipped onto the bar by MacDonald as the clock ran down on what was a turgid encounter.

CELTIC: Gordon; Lustig, Boyata, Simunovic, Izaguirre (Allan 84); Forrest, Brown, Rogic (Ciftci 71), Bitton, Armstrong (Mackay-Steven 56); Griffiths. Subs: Bailly, Ambrose, Ciftci, Mackay-Steven, McGregor, Tierney.

KILMARNOCK: MacDonald; O’Hara, Connolly, Balatoni, McHattie; McKenzie (Kiltie 43), Robinson, Obadeyi, Smith, Higginbotham (Hamill 88); Magennis. Subs: Ridgers, Hamill, Boyd, Ashcroft, Slater, Carrick.