SPL Sunday March 12th

Hibs 1

Celtic 2

1:0 Riordan 24
1:1 Maloney 36 pen
1:2 McManus 60

Att: 16,985

MIB: Alan Freeland

Celtic: Boruc Telfer Balde McManus Wilson Nakamura Lennon Keane Maloney, Petrov Zurawski
subs
Pearson for Nakamura 80

It might be the home ground of Scott Brown, but this was a day for Scott of the Antarctic to show you the way to Easter Road.

Celtic missed the first chance of the game after only a few minutes then pretty much surrendered control of the game to Hibs and it wasn't too much of a surprise when they took the lead through a Riordan free-kick from 25-yards.

Stilian Petrov was dropped into his more orthodox midfield spot soon after and Celtic began to get to grips with the match. After 36 minutes Steven Whittaker lost out to Roy Keane. The ball fell to Maloney, whose fine run clear was only stopped by Whittaker's scything tackle from behind. Why the Hibs player wasn't sent off will forever remain a mystery known only to the initiates at Grand Lodge Park Gardens. Maloney dusted himself off to score the penalty.

The second half saw a different Celtic emerge from the dressing room. Hibs were on the back foot straight from the restart before a Nakamura corner found Zurawski whose flick to McManus saw the big defender bag his seventh of the season. Pub argument question: who was the last Celtic defender to out-score McManus in a single season?

A minute later Hibs goalkeeper Simon Brown was sent off after a rush of blood to the head moment. The sub 'keeper actually went on to save a second Maloney penalty before the end. Two penalties in the one match? Stewards Enquiry coming up I think.

But for another couple of saves the scoreline might have been more comfortable than 2:1.

Victory 24 of the season and a continuation of our consistent away form.