Samaras insists Hoops won't seek Killie revenge

CELTIC will have no thoughts of revenge when they take on their Cup conquerors Kilmarnock in a potential Scottish Premier League title-clincher on Saturday, Georgios Samaras has claimed.

The Hoops striker was the star of Celtic's 2-0 home win over St Johnstone yesterday, scoring the opener after the break with a header before his cross from the right was deflected into his own net by St Johnstone midfielder Chris Millar.

The welcome victory, which followed the Scottish Communities League Cup final defeat by Killie at Hampden and the SPL loss to Rangers at Ibrox, means Neil Lennon's men need only a draw in Ayrshire to win the championship and that, insists Samaras, is all that is on the agenda.

"It was a final, they won it, it's finished," said the Greece international.

"We don't go there with our minds on revenge. We are not looking at the past, we are looking at the future.

"We haven't had the greatest results in the last two weeks but we showed great character in the second half and won the game.

"Now we need to go to Kilmarnock with the same character. We were nervous in the first half, there was a strange atmosphere, I don't know why but in the second half we went out and enjoyed our football which is what we need to do from now on.

"We need to start to play good football, create chances and do what we did before March, which wasn't a great month."

St Johnstone, who won 1-0 at Celtic Park earlier in the season, remain five points behind third-placed Motherwell.

Saints midfielder Liam Craig, who was booked for complaining after referee George Salmond let Kris Commons' hefty challenge on him go unpunished before Celtic raced up the park to score the second, insists the Perth men will keep going.

"We have a big game against Inverness next week," he said.

"Motherwell are only five points clear and if we can drag them back then it is going to be an exciting end to the season."