Celtic 0 Kilmarnock 0

Celtic huffed and puffed to no avail against Kilmarnock in their Premiership encounter at Parkhead. Normally lethal striker Leigh Griffiths had a couple of tame efforts in a mostly dull first 45 minutes and a better effort at the start of the second half was saved by Killie keeper Jamie MacDonald. The visitors spent most of the second period camped outside their own box repelling wave after wave of attack and the crossbar prevented Hoops defender Dedryck Boyata getting a late winner. Although their six-point lead over Hearts was preserved - the Jambos drew 1-1 with Dundee - third-placed Aberdeen could move within five points against Hamilton on Sunday. However, after such a frustrating afternoon, Hoops boss Ronny Deila will be more concerned about the visit of Ajax in their win-or-bust Europa League group clash on Thursday night. On a freezing cold day in the east end of Glasgow, Deila was boosted by the return of skipper Scott Brown, back after missing four matches with a knee injury, and defender Jozo Simunovic, fit again after a foot knock, with Stefan Johansen rested altogether and Efe Ambrose dropping to the bench. Kilmarnock boss Gary Locke welcomed skipper Mark Connolly back to his defence for the first time since suffering a knee injury against Ross County at the end of August. After a perfectly-observed minute's silence to mark the Paris atrocities, the game took some time to get going. A searching pass in the 17th minute from Hoops right-back Mikael Lustig picked out Griffiths but under pressure from Connolly he could only trundle his shot from 12 yards straight at MacDonald. The visitors' Northern Ireland striker Josh Magennis knocked a Tope Obadeyi cross past the post moments later before he was booked by referee Bobby Madden for a hefty challenge on Brown. It was mostly gruel the supporters were being served up. In the 33rd minute a low drive from Griffiths, after being set up by Tom Rogic at the edge of the box, lacked the power to trouble MacDonald. The visitors found themselves under siege at the start of the second half. When Rugby Park midfielder Scott Robinson was penalised for a foul on Rogic 25 yards from goal, only a fine flying save from MacDonald denied Griffiths fromthe free-kick. Just before the hour mark Gary Mackay-Steven replaced Stuart Armstrong and there were shouts for a penalty from the increasingly fractious Celtic fans - but not the player - when the substitute went down in the box when challenged by Obadeyi. Referee Madden was unimpressed. Blocks and last-gasp tackles were the order of the day for the Ayrshire club whose threat in attack, noticeable on occasions before the break, had all but disappeared. Killie became a little braver, though, in the closing stages with Celtic keeper Craig Gordon making saves from substitute Greg Kiltie and Obadeyi, both at the expense of corners which came to nothing. At the other end MacDonald made another fine save, this time from Brown. Two minutes from the end, only a last-ditch tackle from Simunovic denied Kiltie but it proved to be Killie's day when Boyata's header from a Griffiths free-kick hit the bar, although MacDonald may have got a touch.