Celtic 2-Hibs 0: Survive and advance

By: Matt | May 11th, 2008

Mick goal Well it will go to the last day. In their last game at Celtic Park this year, Celtic defeated Hibernian 2 to 0. Celtic got goals from Stephen McManus and Scott McDonald. The game also saw Hibs finish up with 9 players as two Hibees accumulated 2 yellow cards and were sent off. The win today puts Celtic up 4 points with one game remaining against Dundee United at Dundee on Thursday night. Rangers have three league games remaining against Motherwell next Saturday, St. Mirren Monday the 19th and travel to Aberdeen on Thursday May 22nd. That is a lot of fixtures in a short amount of time, leaving the chance for dropped points! What once looked like an unexciting, and for Celtic fans a disappointing season has at least turned into exciting. Celtic still have to hope for Rangers to drop points however.

Celtic got what they needed today, 3 points. It was a much better performance than a week ago against Motherwell. The scoring started in the 36th minute on a Shunsuke Nakamura corner that Stephen McManus met and headed home. The first half was a evenly contested affair and both sides got a few opportunities, however the goal seemed to deflate Hibs. Naka had a peach of a free kick that just barely hit the post. While Celtic had opportunities in the first half, a lot were wasted by some poor passing. Still keepers of the midfield Barry Robson and Paul Hartley kept Hibs from really breaking out and started a lot of good attacks. The first half also saw the continued good performance from one of the whipping bhoys for the fans this year, Gary Caldwell.

The second half seemed to drag on, despite Celtic controlling most of the play. Celtic fans had seen it before, a decent first half and not pulling away in the second half, leaving the opponents in it and possibly netting home a late goal. It was Celtic who put home the late goal to seal things up, when a Barry Robson free kick that was nodded home by Scott McDonald in the 86th minute when Hibs were down to ten men had trouble marking up (as mentioned, they’d lose another man in the 93rd minute). Celtic picked up the three points and live to fight another day.

Barry Robson and Paul Hartley put in another workman-like performance in the midfield, and I may have gushed over them in the past, they deserve all the credit and more. I don’t think anyone would argue that there was a distinct turn around in play for the Bhoys when these two were inserted into the lineup. Gary Caldwell has seemingly turned around his play of late, putting in another good shift today.

So it will likely all come down to a week from Thursday night (or for me, afternoon), assuming that Rangers can get past St Mirren and Motherwell. I am hopeful that there will be a hostile atmosphere in Pittodrie on that particular Thursday, as if anyone hates the Huns as much as a Tim, it’d be a Sheepie. Of course it doesn’t mean much if Celtic does not defeat Dundee United on that day as well. I am a little worried that Dundee might be upset about the treatment from the refs they got against Rangers, and might see a team from Glasgow and get angry. I hope that Celtic’s desire for the league will be greater. A lot more will be known after next week as Celtic sits and twiddles their thumbs until the 22nd. Until then, Keep the Faith!