New Celtic striker Kasper Hogh delivered a tonic for the recuperating Martin O’Neill with a first-half hat-trick away at Kilmarnock in the absence of his manager.The Dane got off the mark in a Celtic jersey as the champions beat Killie 5-1 on the new grass pitch at Rugby Park to jump above St Mirren on goal difference at the top of the Scottish Premiership.Shaun Maloney took charge of Celtic as O’Neill rested following an overnight hospital stay in midweek following what the club called a “small procedure”.The 74-year-old was able to visit his players at the team hotel beforehand and they produced their highest-scoring league performance since beating Aberdeen by the same scoreline in May last year.Benjamin Nygren put Celtic four up just after the interval before Michael Schjonning-Larsen netted a consolation for Killie, who created a steady stream of chances in the opening stages, although they were already one down by that point. Luke McCowan finished the rout in the 75th minute.While Maloney deputised for O’Neill, there was another important figure from Celtic’s history present in Ayrshire. North America-based former owner Fergus McCann, the man who turned around the club’s fortunes off the pitch in the mid-1990s, made a rare appearance at a Celtic game.Celtic again started with Alistair Johnston and Arne Engels amid respective interest from Everton and West Ham, although Canada right-back Johnston made way for Colby Donovan at half-time.The game was over by that point and the writing was on the wall for Killie after just 70 seconds when Hogh headed home a left-wing Engels cross from close range.Killie’s initial response was positive as the game swung from end to end. Aaron Tshibola and Tom Lowery had shots blocked with Celtic scrambling, Erik Ring knocked the ball wide from close range and both Tyreece John-Jules and Greg Kiltie had efforts saved by Viljami Sinisalo.But Celtic were creating chances throughout. Camilo Duran, Engels and Nygren all threatened twice and Max Stryjek also made saves from Hogh and Kieran Tierney before the visitors doubled their lead in the 33rd minute.Killie centre-back Johnly Yfeko gifted possession inside his own half and passes from Callum McGregor, Duran and Nygren quickly set up Hogh to finish first time.The summer signing from Bodo/Glimt completed his hat-trick two minutes later as Celtic again broke quickly after winning the ball back inside their own half. Yfeko charged well out of position and nobody picked up Hogh before the Dane nodded Duran’s cross home from close range.Dozens of Killie fans headed for the exits 100 seconds after the interval when Nygren finished after being gifted the ball by Stryjek. They would not even have been out the stadium by the time Duran hit the crossbar.Killie manager Neil McCann soon became involved in an argument with a supporter who had stayed behind and matters nearly deteriorated as Hogh, Tierney and Yang all came close.Schjonning-Larsen finished off a measured passing move in the 56th minute but it proved a brief respite for the hosts.Hogh headed off the post before substitute McCowan hooked home after a corner and Stryjek kept the score down with stops from Sebastian Tounekti, the hat-trick hero and James Forrest.Speaking after the game, Celtic assistant manager Maloney said the players received a major boost from a Martin O’Neill prematch team talk.“He was at the team hotel and took the team meeting, speaking to the players. Then he told the staff to get on with it,” Maloney said.“I’ve never experienced anything like what’s happened this week. The staff and the senior guys have been very good. I’m really pleased for the boss to get the win.“The quicker we get him back the better. We’ll see how it goes day to day. He was much better, he was in good form when he spoke to the group.“You know what he’s like: his only instruction was to go and win.“We had a meeting on Saturday night and it was normal, where we went through his team selection, he picks what he thinks and he asks the staff.“It was a boost for all of us to see him. There is a real good bond between the boss and the players.“I’m glad he spoke to them before we left, it had a real positive impact.“It will be up to him when he feels good enough – and if the doctors are happy then he’ll just come back in.”O’Neill would have been buoyed by the performance of Hogh, who got off the mark for Celtic with a first-half hat-trick.“He’s really settled in quickly,” Maloney said. “I was really impressed with his all-round game.“Kilmarnock go man-for-man and try to press you aggressive. But everything that went up to him stuck and he was a platform for our team. The goals topped it off.“We’ve watched him for a long, long time and we know if we create chances, he will score them.”Killie manager McCann took responsibility for a heavy defeat after his team conceded 33 shots at goal, 16 of them on target.“I’m taking responsibility. I’ve asked us to go a wee bit open and expansive and try and play. We’ve made mistakes that were severely punished,” he said.“I felt for the first part of the game we were the better side, we were forcing things. A wee bit of quality just evaded us in the final third.” – Press Association