Celtic went level on points with Premiership leaders Hearts as they defeated a ten-men Hibs side 2-1 at Easter Road.
Goals from Daizen Maeda and substitute Kelechi Iheanacho either side of a Joe Newell equaliser was what it took to get the job done, as Hibs open the door for Falkirk to overtake them in fifth following the Bairns’ win over Motherwell yesterday.
Hearts have the chance to pull further ahead tomorrow once again, when they host Rangers at Tynecastle.
The Glasgow side had two early warning shots for their hosts with the first coming via their top scorer Benjamin Nygren in the 6th minute. Winger Yang squared it for the Swede inside the box, but Hibs’ defender Rocky Bushiri flung himself in front of it to keep it from going goal bound.
Daizen Maeda threatened just two minutes later, when captain Callum McGregor played a neat ball over the top for the Japanese attacker to bring down. He evaded the offside trap, but his effort never troubled deputy goalkeeper Jordan Smith.
VAR intervened just shy of 20 minutes into the match to provide Celtic a man advantage following a reckless tackle from midfielder Jamie McGrath on a returning Alistair Johnston.
Referee David Dickinson initially showed the Irish International a yellow, but Don Robertson on VAR recommended the on-field review.
It is the fourth red card the Edinburgh side have had in three games.
The title-chasers huffed and puffed and eventually found themselves in front just 4 minutes before half-time. Nygren slipped in Johnston inside the area, and he squared it for Maeda to tap in his 12th goal of the season.
Douglas Ross initially had his flag up, but VAR replays confirmed there was no offside offence.
Just when it looked like visitors had the chance to stamp their authority on the game, Hibs rocked them with an equaliser on the cusp of the half-time whistle.
A set-play was awkwardly defended from and goalkeeper Vilijami Sinisalo’s clearance went as far as Hibee’s captain Joe Newell, who brought the scoring level.
A lengthy VAR check ensued, with replays indicating it comes off the arm of the Englishman as he brings it down. However, the goal stood and proceedings were equalled at the interval.
Two of Celtic’s substitutes linked-up to supply the Hoops with their first big chance of the second period with twenty minutes to play. Kelechi Iheancho’s chested pass to Luke McCowan allowed the former Dundee captain to play in Maeda for his second, but the 28-year-old got the control of the pass all wrong and fashioned an unfavourable angle for himself.
Yet only two minutes later, Iheanacho himself would be the man to pull Celtic ahead. The Nigerian brought the ball down from a flicked-on corner with bodies all around him, and fired it home much to the adulation of the travelling supporters in the stand behind the goal.
Ante Suto had a glaring opportunity to score Hibs’ second equaliser of the game with less than two minutes of the ninety remaining. The ball fell for the Australian at the back-post, but his volleyed effort hit the wrong side of the net.
David Gray’s men travel to Falkirk in a game they have to avoid defeat in to stay ahead of them in the league table with the gap being just two points between the teams now.
As for Celtic, they host rivals Rangers on Sunday, who will be either stoking a title fight of their own if they get a result tomorrow at Hearts, or will be out to dent their city adversaries own trophy defence if they lose most if not all ground they have in the race at Tynecastle tomorrow.
HIBERNIAN: Smith 6, Cadden 2 (Obita 46’ 2), Bushiri 7, Iredale 6 (Suto 81′ 1), O’Hora 5, Megwa 5, Chaiwa 4, McGrath 1, Newell 6 (Barlaser 73′ 1), Boyle 2 (Campbell 46’ 3), Elding 4 (Scarlett 81′ 1)
CELTIC: Sinisalo 4, Johnston 6 (Forrest 64′), Trusty 5, Scales 5, Tierney 6, McGregor 6, Engels 5, Nygren 4 (Ralston 77′ 1), Tounekti 3 (McCowan 64′), Maeda 7, Yang 5 (Iheanacho 69′ 5)
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