Nakamura sparks Celtic celebrations

Celtic FC have clinched their fifth Scottish title in seven years after a dramatic late winner from Shunsuke Nakamura gave them a 2-1 victory against Kilmarnock FC at Rugby Park.

Double chance
Gordon Strachan's men needed just three points today to secure the championship but looked like being frustrated after Colin Nish cancelled out Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink's first-half header. Just as time appeared to have run out, Japan midfielder Nakamura, who was to be voted Scotland's player of the year by his fellow professionals at an evening ceremony in Glasgow, struck a superb 22-metre free-kick into the Kilmarnock net to spark wild celebrations among the travelling Celtic support and awe from his manager, who admitted: "I feel lucky to have a genius on my books.

'Best team'
"The best team won the league. There is a difference between the best individuals and the best team. My players just don't like getting beat." Indeed, they have lost just three times this campaign en route to their 41st domestic title, ten fewer than rivals Rangers FC, and could secure a double when they contest the Scottish Cup final against either Hibernian FC or Dunfermline Athletic FC on 26 May.

'God-given talent'
Vennegoor of Hesselink got the defending champions off to a perfect start glancing in a Nakamura corner on 24 minutes, but the home side bounced back five minutes after the restart through Nish. It looked as though the defending champions would have to wait another week to lift the title before Nakamura curled in a dramatic winner. "His is a God-given talent," Celtic captain Neil Lennon told uefa.com. "Kilmarnock made it tough for us but when you have a player with that kind of talent you always have a chance and once again Naka came up with the goods when it mattered most."