text: Leigh Griffiths sure knows how to finish. And, in passing, how to make a point. Left on the bench for Wednesday night’s home clash with Kilmarnock, perhaps uncertain over his place in the starting XI for Sunday’s Scottish Cup semi-final against Inverness, the Celtic striker scored a 19-minute hat-trick to guide his team to a handsome 4-1 victory. The Treble-chasing reigning champions came from a goal down, inspired by Kris Commons and the second-half introduction of Griffiths, to record a win that takes them eight points clear at the top of the Premiership – and lifts confidence ahead of their trip to Hampden. Hat-trick hero Leigh Griffiths with signed match ball and man of the match award . Darryl Westlake’s wickedly deflected strike early in the second half had given the visitors a shock lead completely against the run of play – only for Commons to equalise in spectacular, if contested, fashion eight minutes later. As good and important as Commons was for Celtic, though, even his performance was overshadowed by the arrival of Griffiths, who simply exploded on to the scene with three goals of supreme quality in less time than it takes for the average warm down. Rightly named Man of the Match despite playing for just over half an hour, the former Hibs front man eased all the frets and fears of home fans on a night that had looked to be slipping away from their team. Celtic's Leigh Griffiths (right) completes his hat-trick against Kilmarnock . Celtic had begun the night with a starting XI looking very much like the team Deila might have been thinking about for Hampden, all things being equal; leaving Stuart Armstrong and Gary Mackay-Steven, both suspended for the semi-final, on the bench suggested that he was giving his Cup formation a gentle run out. Against a Kilmarnock team whose ambition rarely threatened to over-reach their ability, there were certainly passages of play that resembled nothing so uncompetitive as a training session. With Lee Miller plodding along on his lonesome up front and only the pace of left winger Tope Obadeyi carrying even the hint of a threat to the home side, the visitors – doughty in defence but reliably clumsy on the ball – were obviously intent on playing a containing game. Griffiths collects the match ball after his second-half hat trick on Wednesday night . Maybe, just maybe, they’d catch Celtic sleeping and grab a surprise goal. And, if not, well, a nil-nil at Parkhead is never a disgrace, right? The problem for those who turned up in anticipation of a football match was that, however well Celtic played, attack against defence boasts only so much in the way of entertainment value. James Forrest looked the most obvious outlet for a Celtic breakthrough, the winger scampering down the left and finding space where none should have existed, though too often making the wrong call. The former Scotland regular might have scored himself with seven minutes on the clock, tearing into the box and receiving an Emilio Izaguirre pass at pace, yet Forrest’s first touch was half an ounce heavy – allowing young Killie captain Lee Ashcroft to make a vital block on his shot. Substitute Griffiths came off the bench to spark Celtic into life after lacklustre first-half . It didn’t take overly long for the crowd, such as it was on a night when empty seats abounded, to grow frustrated by the home team’s inability to get themselves ahead. Virgil van Dijk loping forward from central defence caused a few stirs of excitement, Stefan Johansen’s running beyond lone striker John Guidetti promised at least a possibility or two. Still space in the final third remained at a premium. Home skipper Scott Brown should have done a great deal better with an Izaguirre cut-back on the half-hour mark, failing to connect cleanly with the bouncing ball and watching it balloon high and wide of the target. Would set-pieces, of which there were an increasing number, provide a more productive avenue of attack for Celtic? Well, big Van Dijk came fairly close with a flashing header from a Commons corner. In open play, an inability – or unwillingness – to let fly continued to be the running theme, one great guddle involving Guidetti and Forrest, neither finding that half yard needed to take a shot inside the box, moving the locals to howls of annoyance. If they were irked by their heroes showing less than perfect concentration in the art of opening up their opposition, Kilmarnock’s opener had the home support in uproar when they took a hugely unexpected lead four minutes into the second half. Celtic manager Ronny Deila (left) congratulates Griffiths after the final whistle . Two or three Celtic players had a chance to close down and dispossess Obadeyi as he made ground and tied defenders in on the flank, yet he kept hold of the ball long enough for support to arrive in the shape of Westlake. Sure, the midfielder’s shot took the kind of deflection for which there is no accounting, smacking Jason Denayer and spinning beyond a helpless Craig Gordon. But failure to apply due diligence at the back definitely contributed to the concession. Their fans roused and their own pride hurt, Celtic had to muster a quick response. Step forward the captain, who pounced to nick the ball off the toe of Sammy Clingan – prompting immediately complaints of a dangerous challenge. Griffiths was thrown into the fray before the game could be restarted, Forrest making way as Celtic tried to provide Guidetti with more support up front. As substitutions go, not one of Deila’s worst. Griffiths had been on the park all of six minutes, in fact, when he put Celtic ahead, rising to score with a downward header after Commons had shown excellent skill and vision to drive towards the byeline, beat his man and dig out a cross to the back post. As soon as they went ahead, the shackles seemed to fall from the limbs of the home players. Suddenly, they were finding space, making killer passes, creating openings and – most importantly – taking shots. None better than the 25-yarder that Griffiths sent screaming past Craig Samson with 10 minutes remaining, the ball cannoning in off the keeper’s right-hand post. When he was put through behind the defence four minutes later, there was never any doubt about what would happen, the striker finishing low and hard past a shell-shocked Samson.
target: Defender Darryl Westlake fired Kilmarnock ahead in the 50th minute .
  Midfielder Kris Commons levelled for the home side eight minutes later .
  Sub Leigh Griffiths netted three goals in a remarkable 19-minute spell .
  Celtic moved eight points clear at the top of the Scottish Premiership .