Celtic came to Rugby Park to secure the three points that would secure the SPL title and get the party started.
Their hosts were unwilling to let them have it all their own way and produced their most committed and determined display of a lack-lustre season and it was only in the last couple of minutes that the Celtic fans could get into full voice.
Martin O'Neill opted to revert to a 3-5-2 system with Jackie McNamara filling in in midfield. He set up the game's first chance with a miscued shot to which Stanislav Varga reacted fastest, but the ball spun off his foot and clipped the outside of the post.
Killie were competing well and looked to have taken the lead in the 15th minute. Kris Boyd ran on to Stephen Murray's pass and crossed low to the near post.
Eric Skora got to the ball ahead of Bobo Balde and touched it back to Boyd who thundered a shot into the bottom corner of the net only to see referee Mike McCurry signal a foul on Balde, the first in a series of bewildering decisions.
McNamara fashioned Celtic's next opportunity with an inch-perfect dink into Stilian Petrov's path in the 26th minute, but Colin Meldrum produced a great point-blank save to keep the Bulgarian out.
However, the keeper was helpless six minutes later in a replica move. This time it was Henrik Larsson who lifted the ball into Petrov's path, and he held off Gordon Greer to slide the ball into the back of the net to send his supporters wild.
Larsson was denied by a wonderful fingertip save from Meldrum four minutes later as Celtic looked like breaking loose and securing the points and the title.
Instead the champagne should have gone back on ice a minute before half-time. Danny Invincibile's cross broke to James Fowler who dragged his shot straight to Boyd. He had the goal at his mercy from five yards out but he opted for power and blazed his shot wide.
Killie hadn't read the script of a Celtic stroll to the title, and gave their visitors one of their sternest tests of the season, but Meldrum still had to be on his toes to keep out a Liam Miller piledriver in the 73rd minute.