Martin O'Neill's team dropped two costly Premier League points against Kilmarnock yesterday to end a week of contrasting fortunes four points behind leaders Rangers.

The champions never looked at their best as they made the short journey to Ayrshire hard on the heels of their UEFA Cup success over Celta Vigo. European thoughts seemed to be on Celtic minds.

They lost an early goal to Andy McLaren, whose only other goal this season was on the opening day against Rangers, and then huffed and puffed to no great effect until Joos Valgaeren moved forward to lend a hand after 66 minutes. Thereafter either team could have snatched a winner.

The visitors' frustration at failing to so do boiled over in the last few seconds of injury time when John Hartson was refused a penalty after being dumped by Chris Innes and the Welshman eventually had to be ushered up the tunnel by a policeman as he took issue with the referee Willie Young and his assistant.

O'Neill, too, approached the referee over the incident at the final whistle, despite a two-game touchline ban in Europe hanging over him. It must be assumed that what O'Neill said was as clean as he indicated. "I was just asking the referee how he didn't give it," he snapped. "It looked a clear foul to me."

Young, however, had upset both camps through the course of the match so on that basis he called virtually everything correctly.

Kilmarnock, of course, were the happier side when the dust settled and taking a well-deserved point was an appropriate way to mark their 500th Premier League fixture.

KILMARNOCK: Marshall; Fowler, Innes, Shields, Dillon, Canero, Mahood, Fulton, Mitchell (Sanjuan 68), McSwegan (Boyd 74), McLaren (Dargo 89). Subs Not Used: Meldrum, Hay. Booked: Mitchell. Goals: McLaren 19.

CELTIC: Douglas; McNamara, Valgaeren, Balde, Agathe, Lambert, Petrov (Guppy 77), Sutton, Thompson, Larsson, Hartson. Subs Not Used: Gould, Fernandez, Maloney, Crainey. Booked: Thompson. Goals: Valgaeren 66.

Referee: W Young (Scotland).