Kilmarnock manager Kenny Shiels has insisted that player suspensions were to blame for his side's 3-1 defeat to Celtic.

Scott Brown, Joe Ledley, Georgios Samaras were on target as the Hoops ran riot at Rugby Park, leaving Shiels ruing the absence of key team members.

"We've got players suspended and they don't, so there's a distinct difference there," he told BBC Sport.

"We're missing our captain because of suspension. These things don't happen to the likes of Celtic, they don't lose players with suspension."

The Killie boss also admitted that his side were unable to cope with the pace of Ledley and Brown throughout the game.

"We didn't match the runs of Ledley and Brown," he added. "I think it's difficult. We knew they would come here with a sense of achievement.

"They're going to be firing on all cylinders, they've got the best players."

The result moves Celtic three points clear at the top of the Scottish Premier League with one game in hand on second-placed Inverness Caledonian Thistle.