SPL Sunday March 2nd 2003

Celtic 3

Hibernian 2

1:0 Hartson (2); 2:0 Hartson (25); 2:1 McManus (39); 2:2 McManus (61); 3:2 Mjallby (90)

Att: 57,512

MIB: Willie Young

Celtic: Broto; Valgaeren, Mjallby, Crainey; Agathe, Lambert (Guppy 63), Lennon, Petrov (Sylla 81), Thompson; Maloney, Hartson

Oh dear - second two goal lead chucked away in two games. There's never a good time to have a defensive crisis, but to have one now seems like especially poor timing.

And it all started so normally; a goal to the good in the first minute - Hartson looping his header in - two up in twenty minutes, a Hartson header again. And then the roof fell in.

Normally words would fail to describe Broto after he gifted the ball - and a goal - to McManus. But the words 'Careless big steamer', or 'Gran idiota descuidado' in his native tongue, seem to fit the bill. That moment ensured that what had been a fairly comfortable performance was now an edgy one as we realised two things: 1) Hibs felt they could back into the game, and 2) we couldn't allow the ball to go anywhere near our goalie.

Hibs' equaliser was as fine a shot as a Hibs player will ever hit, but the way Joos was lost prior to it was not encouraging. Also not encouraging were the frankly abysmal performances of Petrov and Agathe, Euro hangover nothing - these guys barely shook a leg.

At 2:2 we started to play again, but it certainly looked like it might be curtains for the league if we dropped any points here. Happily Hibs stayed true to form and let in a last gasp goal, Mjallby heading in after their keeper did his Broto impression.

So the points rescued and all to play for next week.