Celtic 2, Hibs 0: Managerless Capital side slip down to eighth

Goals in either half from Ryan Christie and Oli Burke steered the league leaders to a comfortable victory in which the Easter Road outfit didn’t call Celtic goalkeeper Scott Bain into action even once in the entire 90 minutes.

It was clear from the first whistle that the managerless Capital club were going to be up against it and so it proved as their opponents clocked up a fifth straight win without conceding a goal as they continue to spearhead this season’s title charge.

But, as they did so, Hibs slipped to eighth place thanks to Motherwell’s win over basement side St Mirren while Livingston closed to within a point thanks to their no-scoring draw with Hearts at Tynecastle.

As things stand, Hibs remain five points off sixth place but yet another game has gone, just eight remaining before the split.

Despite Celtic’s lengthy injury list there was, unsurprisingly, no place for Hibs-bound Scott Allan in Brendan Rodgers’ matchday squad once again while the Easter Road side’s stand-in manager Eddie May made two changes, Ryan Gauld and Sean Mackie replacing Stevie Mallan and Marvin Bartley in the starting line-up.

Hibs were set up for the expected early onslaught from Celtic with Mark Milligan patrolling the area in front of the back four but even so the Premiership leaders managed to force three corners in those opening minutes, all of which came to nought.

The Capital side knew they were unlikely to enjoy a huge percentage of possession and that they’d have to make the most of what they did see of the ball and not, as young Oli Shaw did, allow themselves to lose it in dangerous areas.

Robbed by Christie, the striker was no doubt thankful to see his shot whistle wide before Vykintas Slivka suffered a similar fate, pick-pocketed by Callum McGregor, who slid a superb ball through to Timothy Weah, who was denied the game’s opening goal as Ofir Marciano spread himself well to save.

A Celtic goal, however, looked inevitable and it duly arrived in the 24th minute, Jeremy Toljan given the room on right to pick out Christie, who left Marciano helpless as he found the far corner of his net.

Celtic were able to dictate the pace, Marciano getting down well to parry a Weah effort with Hibs’ reply a shot from Milligan which screwed well wide and then an off-target drive by Flo Kamberi.

Hibs were by no means out of it but Paul Hanlon had to step in as Scott Sinclair burst into the penalty area and attempted to find Burke before Sean Mackie’s ball almost played in Shaw but Dedryck Boyata had spotted the danger.

Hibs resumed with deadline-day signing Marc McNulty on in place of Shaw in a bid to take more of the game to Celtic but it was their hosts who carved out the first opening of the second half, Toljan and Weah linking well down the right again for the on-loan Paris St-Germain winger to play in a low cross which Sinclair side-footed wide.

Marciano gathered a tame effort from Christie before the Israeli internationalist did well to stop Burke adding a second for Celtic, standing big at his near post to deny the striker after he’d shrugged off the attentions of Hanlon.

And Marciano again kept Hibs in it with a stunning save after Christie’s free-kick had found the head of the unmarked Boyata only a few yards from goal as Celtic began to crank up the pressure.

The Edinburgh side’s defence was breached again, though, as Burke’s shot took a wicked deflection off Darren McGregor to loop over the stranded goalkeeper.

Having already brought on McNulty and Stevie Mallan, May was forced into a third change as Celtic celebrated that goal, skipper David Gray, who has been dogged by injury this season, limping off as Darnell Johnson made his Hibs debut.

McNulty enjoyed a rare glimpse of Scott Bain’s goal thanks to Slivka’s pass but was off balance as he shot, the ball flying high and wide.

On-loan Leicester City defender Johnson wasted no time in leaving his mark, a reckless challenge resulting in Emilio Izaguirre being stretchered off in obvious distress following a lengthy spell of treatment, the 20-year-old Hibs newcomer booked by referee Craig Thomson as the home fans screamed red.

Celtic were very much in cruise control, happy to play distinctly within themselves, that second goal giving them the cushion they needed to see out the match, a fifth successive Premiership win without conceding a goal and a result which maintained their six-point lead at the top of the table as they seek an eighth title in a row.

Celtic (4-2-3-1): Bain; Toljan, Boyata (Bitton 74), Simunovic, Izaguirre (Hayes 82); Brown, C McGregor; Weah, Christie, Sinclair (Johnston 73); Burke. Unused subs: Gordon, Bayo, Lustig, Henderson.

Hibs (4-1-3-2): Marciano; Gray (Johnson 65), D McGregor, Hanlon, Stevenson; Milligan; Slivka, Gauld (Mallan 60), Mackie; Kamberi, Shaw (McNulty 46). Unused subs: Dabrowski, Nelom, Omeonga, Bigirimana.

Referee: Craig Thomson

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