Having helped Kilmarnock overcome one Old Firm jinx, Colin Nish is determined to end another when the Rugby Park club commence their Clydesdale Bank Premier League campaign at Parkhead on Sunday.
Having inflicted the only domestic defeat so far of Walter Smith's second reign as Rangers manager, Nish now has his sights set on Gordon Strachan's champions.
Kilmarnock's victory at Ibrox in May was the first time manager Jim Jefferies had masterminded a success over either of the Old Firm since he took charge at Rugby Park in 2002. A wonderful strike from sought-after striker Steven Naismith sealed the three points and secured the Ayrshire club's first win over Rangers in almost seven years.
Kilmarnock last savoured a win over Celtic in May 2001 and haven't departed the home of the current Premier League champions with a point since September 1998.
Nish, however, believes the confidence that they gained from beating Rangers can change that and they can beat the champions on their own patch.
"It's twice in a row starting against Celtic but I suppose it doesn't make a difference as we're going to have to play them eventually, so we may as well get it over and done with," Nish admitted. "We beat Rangers at Ibrox at the end of last season, so we know we are capable of doing it. We just need to go there full of confidence and hopefully get a result. No doubt the fact we haven't beaten Celtic for so long will be brought up but we don't think about that.
"I don't think that it makes a difference when you play Celtic, whether it's the first game of the season or later on, going to Parkhead is always difficult."
The fixture computer has a habit of being unkind to Kilmarnock but Jefferies insists that his side have gained a lot of belief from their Ibrox win and will travel to Parkhead confident of an upset.
Jefferies said: "You don't get a much tougher start than the champions but we're used to it because in my time here we've had Celtic twice, Rangers twice, Hibs and Hearts on the opening day.
"It's never easy but we've got nothing to lose. We don't have a great record at Parkhead but we didn't have a great record at Ibrox at the back end of last season and managed to win.
"It was always mentioned that we hadn't beaten Rangers but it can't be mentioned anymore. It's long before these players and myself were at Kilmarnock that the record has been there but it's never an easy place to win.
"We've taken a lot of confidence from the end to last season and if we go there and do things right, have a bit of belief, concentrate and if we make any chances take them."
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