CELTIC came from behind to beat 10 man Hibernian 3-1 at Parkhead this afternoon and restore their nine point lead over Rangers at the top of the cinch Premiership table.
Late goals from substitutes Hyeon-gyu Oh with nine minutes remaining and Sead Haksabanovic in injury-time secured a hard-fought triumph over Lee Johnson’s side for Ange Postecoglou’s team.
Going down to 10 men was the last thing that Johnson needed in such a difficult outing - but Hibs striker Elie Youan got himself ordered off in the first-half after picking up yellow cards for needless challenges on Carl Starfelt and Cameron Carter-Vickers.
The Easter Road club, though, took the lead against the run of play six minutes before half-time after referee Steven McLean ruled that Carl Starfelt had pulled the jersey of Paul Hanlon inside his own area following a VAR check and awarded a penalty.
Josh Campbell stepped forward and sent Celtic goalkeeper Joe Hart the wrong way to take his tally for the 2022/23 campaign to nine and stun the stadium – the corner housing the away fans aside – into silence.
Callum McGregor and his team mates stepped up their efforts in the second-half and drew level from the spot after Hanlon had bundled over Cameron Carter-Vickers at a Matt O’Riley corner. Jota slotted under David Marshall from 12 yards.
And Oh, the South Korean striker who joined the Scottish champions in a £2.5m transfer from Suwon Samsung Bluewings in January, clinched the three points in the closing stages of a nervous encounter when he headed home a David Turnbull corner.
Haksabanovic got in on the scoresheet at the death when he curled beyond Marshall from the edge of the Hibs area. Here are five talking points from the Premiership match at Parkhead.
OH SHOW
There is no doubt about who the first choice front man at Celtic is; Kyogo Furuhashi has netted no fewer than 26 times in all competitions this term and is the front runner to pick up the Play of the Year awards which are handed out in May.
However, Oh has shown he is a more than capable understudy since being brought in to replace Giorgos Giakoumakis. The powerfully-built forward did well to outmuscle Campbell and bury a diving header when the scoreline was 1-1 late on. It was his third goal in 10 appearances and he was a deserved recipient of the Man of the Match award.
His positive start augurs well for the future.
MAGNIFICENT MARSHALL
Hibs had been on a five game unbeaten run before being thrashed 4-1 by Rangers at Easter Road last week.
It was asking a lot of them to avoid a second straight loss today. Their hosts had won all 17 of their domestic fixtures at home this term before today. They last dropped points on their own turf back in May.
Celtic dominated from kick-off. But their former goalkeeper Marshall was up for the encounter with his old club and then some. He denied Furuhashi and Jota with superb instinctive saves early on and kept the scoreline level.
The former Scotland internationalist turned 38 earlier this month. However, his reactions are every bit as quick as they were when he was starting out as a professional in the East End of Glasgow. His brilliance allowed the visitors to take the lead six minutes before half-time when Campbell converted from the spot.
Not since Danny Galbraith netted a last minute winner in a 2-1 victory in the January of 2010 have Hibs triumphed at Parkhead. Could they hold on for the final 50 minutes and record a famous result? They had had nothing to show for their efforts when the final whistle blew.
But Marshall was unfortunate not to keep the Jota penalty out in the second-half. He guessed the right side only for the shot to squirm under his body. He could do nothing about the Oh and Haksabanovic efforts.
HATATE BLOW
Postecoglou has options in every position in his team and was able to bring in O’Riley for Aaron Mooy today and replace Reo Hatate with Turnbull after the midfielder pulled up injured early on.
But Celtic were just not their usual selves without the Australian and Japanese caps pulling the strings alongside captain McGregor in the middle of the park. Their manager will be hoping they are both fit and available when club football resumes next month.
VAR TOO LONG
There was disbelief around Parkhead when referee McLean awarded Hibs a penalty six minutes before half-time after being urged to watch a replay of an incident on his pitchside monitor by his VAR colleague Gavin Duncan in Clydesdale House.
But Celtic could have no complaints. Starfelt clearly pulled the shirt of Hanlon as his rival centre half was attempting to get to the ball inside his area. It was hardly a red card offence. Still, the Swede impeded the Scot with his needless actions.
Celtic fans should have been asking what Starfelt was doing rather than the match official. It was another example of the new technology getting a big decision right. That said, it is still taking too long for rulings to be arrived at.
TAYLOR SHIFT
Greg Taylor was left out of the Scotland squad for the opening Euro 2024 qualifiers against Cyprus and Spain because of, manager Steve Clarke explained at Hampden on Tuesday, a “Celtic issue”.
Clarke, who is well placed for left backs with Aaron Hickey, Andy Robertson and Kieran Tierney all at his disposal, explained that Taylor was nursing a minor injury and would benefit from a rest during the international break.
But Postecoglou had no qualms about starting the defender in his usual berth this afternoon. The former Kilmarnock player worked hard before being replaced by Alexandro Bernabei on the hour mark. The fans’ favourite will have much to contribute during the run-in.
