Celtic stay close to Rangers

Celtic crushed Hearts 5-0 yesterday to stay on the heels of Rangers after the Scottish Premier League leaders had won 2-1 at Kilmarnock.

Champions Celtic are second on 10 points from four matches, two behind Rangers.

Japan midfielder Shunsuke Nakamura scored twice, starting the rout with a shot deflected off defender Christophe Berra into the net in the ninth minute before Italy's Massimo Donati strolled through the defence on a solo effort.

Celtic kept up the pressure after the interval and Scott Brown got his first goal for the club.

Dutch striker Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink cracked in a penalty into the bottom left corner for 4-0 and Nakamura completed the scoring in the closing stages by slipping a shot past keeper Steve Banks.

Hearts were reduced to 10 men late in the match when Neil McCann was injured after they had used all three substitutes.

Earlier, Rangers maintained their 100 per cent record to stay on top of the table. It was the first loss of the season for Kilmarnock, who have seven points.

DaMarcus Beasley fired Rangers ahead in the 52nd minute when the ball fell to him after a scramble and he rammed it in from 10 metres.

However, Kilmarnock levelled the score on the hour as Danny Invincibile clipped home a low shot from the centre of the penalty area.

Rangers secured the win when French striker Jean Claude Darcheville whipped a shot into the bottom right hand corner.

Hibernian and Aberdeen fought a 3-3 draw.

Aberdeen's Craig Brewster hit a double in his last game before returning to Inverness Caledonian Thistle as player-manager.