Celtic beat Kilmarnock as Liam Scales settles a tense win

Liam Scales scored the only goal of the afternoon in the 26th minute, and Celtic used it to beat Kilmarnock 1-0 and restore their four-point lead at the top of the Scottish Premiership. It was a result built on one clean finish and a lot of waste in front of goal. Benjamin Nygren then missed a second-half penalty, and Kasper Høgh's goalless run stretched to 16 games.

Scales' finish and Celtic's missed chances

The decisive moment came when Scales hooked Camilo Duran's cross into the top corner in the 26th minute. It was the sort of goal that can settle a game without telling the whole story, because Celtic had enough to make the scoreline more comfortable and did not do it.

Nygren's penalty miss in the 75th minute carried extra weight because Aaron Tshibola had been penalised for handball. Nygren has 6 league goals this season, so the chance fell to a player who usually offers more than that. Instead, Celtic were left protecting a one-goal lead while the game stayed live into the closing stages.

The pressure Kilmarnock kept applying

Kilmarnock never went away. Sam Johnstone saved Tom Lowery's first effort and then denied him again early on, and that helped keep Celtic on edge long after the opener. The late scramble nearly brought an equaliser too, when Ieuan Owen was inches away from turning in Erik Ring's low stoppage-time cross.

The defeat leaves Kilmarnock 12th with 9 points from 12 matches, so the late missed chance only deepens the sense that their own margins are thin. Celtic, though, have 28 points and a +17 goal difference, which still makes them look like the side with far more control over the title race. Scales has been part of that consistency too, with 11 Premiership appearances and a 7.42 league rating backing up the impression that his winner was no fluke.

The match will be remembered for the missed chances as much as the finish, but the table is straightforward enough. Celtic keep their four-point cushion, and they did it on a day when one defender's strike and one missed penalty made all the difference.