Scottish Premiership
Hibernian2Celtic0

Hibernian win 2-0 to keep Celtic off Premiership top spot

Vykintas Slivka scores
Vykintas Slivka's previous goal had come against Celtic in April

Hibernian consigned Celtic to a third Scottish Premiership defeat of the season and prevented the champions returning to the top of the table.

Vykintas Slivka struck after 46 seconds and Florian Kamberi finished a superb second-half counter attack with an emphatic finish.

Substitute Lewis Morgan fired narrowly wide in Celtic's best chance.

And they could finish the weekend in third if Rangers beat Hamilton later.

Brendan Rodgers' team will, however, still have a game in hand over the Ibrox side.

Hibs, meanwhile, will prepare for the second of their three home matches this week against Rangers on Wednesday.

Celtic caught cold by Hibs' quick thinking

Hibs' intent was clear from kick-off as Emerson Hyndman and Oli Shaw moved the ball left to right for Slivka, who cut inside Jozo Simunovic to sweep a shot beyond Craig Gordon.

Slivka took a sore one after being on the end of a late lunge by Scott Brown, who was booked, and the midfielder did not reappear for the second half.

But his replacement Sean Mackie played a major role in the hosts' second as Neil Lennon's side broke from a Celtic corner and Mackie's diagonal ball was collected by Kamberi and lashed past Gordon.

It could have been worse for Celtic, with Stevie Mallan's first-half free-kick and dipping long-range drive in the second period beaten away by Gordon.

Celtic looked to James Forrest for inspiration and he twice had dangerous balls cut out with Odsonne Edouard waiting to convert a tap-in, and the winger also drew a save from Ofir Marciano.

Edouard was booked for simulation after going down in the wake of Steven Whittaker's challenge right on the edge of the box, though replays suggested there may have been some contact.

Morgan, Jonny Hayes and Mikey Johnston were sent on to give the visitors more impetus and Morgan was inches away from halving the deficit after inventive play by Johnston.

Florian Kamberi scores
Kamberi's previous goal also came against Celtic, back in October

'Lennon gets answer he was looking' - analysis

BBC Scotland's Brian McLauchlin at Easter Road

Hibernian boss Neil Lennon said pre-match he would know within the opening five minutes what the attitude and application of his players was going to be against champions Celtic.

Well he only had to wait 46 seconds when they gave the manager the answer he was looking for.

In recent weeks the management team at Easter Road have been extremely critical of their players but on this performance they should receive nothing but praise.

The centre-back pairing of Efe Ambrose and 19-year-old Ryan Porteous was solid. Stevie Mallan and Emerson Hyndman never gave the Celtic midfield a sniff and Oli Shaw was tireless in his work-rate alongside Flo Kamberi, who put in his finest performance of the campaign.

Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers was without four key players and changed formation with Kristoffer Ajer slotting into a back three but they should still have enough in their locker to test a Hibernian side who have struggled in recent weeks.

With key games to come before the break including a visit to Ibrox, Rodgers will be keen to have the likes of Ryan Christie and Kieran Tierney back sooner rather than later, and the Celtic fans will be looking for the squad to be freshened up in the January transfer window with strikers a priority.

Line-ups

Hibernian

  • 1Marciano
  • 3Whittaker
  • 25Ambrose
  • 36Porteous
  • 16Stevenson
  • 8SlivkaSubstituted forMackieat 45'minutes
  • 7Horgan
  • 14Mallan
  • 20Hyndman
  • 32ShawSubstituted forAllanat 87'minutes
  • 22Kamberi

Substitutes

  • 9Maclaren
  • 18Nelom
  • 24McGregor
  • 31Bogdan
  • 43Mackie
  • 47Gullan
  • 49Allan

Celtic

  • 1Gordon
  • 35Ajer
  • 5Simunovic
  • 32Benkovic
  • 3IzaguirreSubstituted forHayesat 62'minutes
  • 8BrownBooked at 38mins
  • 21Ntcham
  • 49Forrest
  • 42McGregor
  • 11SinclairSubstituted forMorganat 62'minutes
  • 22EdouardBooked at 64minsSubstituted forJohnstonat 75'minutes

Substitutes

  • 4Hendry
  • 15Hayes
  • 16Morgan
  • 27Mulumbu
  • 29Bain
  • 56Ralston
  • 73Johnston
Referee:
Don Robertson
Attendance:
18,142

Match Stats

Home TeamHibernianAway TeamCeltic
Possession
Home43%
Away57%
Shots
Home7
Away12
Shots on Target
Home6
Away4
Corners
Home4
Away8
Fouls
Home13
Away6

Live Text

Match ends, Hibernian 2, Celtic 0.

Full Time

Second Half ends, Hibernian 2, Celtic 0.

Foul by Lewis Allan (Hibernian).

Jonny Hayes (Celtic) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Attempt missed. Michael Johnston (Celtic) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left.

Corner, Hibernian. Conceded by Filip Benkovic.

Substitution

Substitution, Hibernian. Lewis Allan replaces Oli Shaw.

Attempt saved. Lewis Morgan (Celtic) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner.

Foul by Sean Mackie (Hibernian).

Scott Brown (Celtic) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

Corner, Celtic. Conceded by Steven Whittaker.

Corner, Hibernian. Conceded by Craig Gordon.

Attempt saved. Stephen Mallan (Hibernian) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom left corner.

Attempt missed. Lewis Morgan (Celtic) left footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the left.

Delay over. They are ready to continue.

Delay in match Oli Shaw (Hibernian) because of an injury.

Attempt missed. Filip Benkovic (Celtic) right footed shot from more than 35 yards misses to the left from a direct free kick.

Foul by Ryan Porteous (Hibernian).

Lewis Morgan (Celtic) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

Substitution

Substitution, Celtic. Michael Johnston replaces Odsonne Edouard.

Corner, Celtic. Conceded by Ryan Porteous.

Attempt saved. Scott Brown (Celtic) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top centre of the goal.

Attempt missed. Filip Benkovic (Celtic) header from the centre of the box misses to the right following a corner.

Corner, Celtic. Conceded by Emerson Hyndman.

Lewis Morgan (Celtic) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Foul by Stephen Mallan (Hibernian).

Attempt saved. Florian Kamberi (Hibernian) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal.

Booking

Odsonne Edouard (Celtic) is shown the yellow card.

Substitution

Substitution, Celtic. Lewis Morgan replaces Scott Sinclair.

Substitution

Substitution, Celtic. Jonny Hayes replaces Emilio Izaguirre.

Goal!

Goal! Hibernian 2, Celtic 0. Florian Kamberi (Hibernian) right footed shot from the right side of the box to the top right corner. Assisted by Sean Mackie following a fast break.

Attempt blocked. Olivier Ntcham (Celtic) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked.

Foul by Stephen Mallan (Hibernian).

Callum McGregor (Celtic) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

Attempt saved. James Forrest (Celtic) right footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the centre of the goal.

Foul by Oli Shaw (Hibernian).

Scott Brown (Celtic) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

Daryl Horgan (Hibernian) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Foul by Callum McGregor (Celtic).

Foul by Daryl Horgan (Hibernian).

goal

As It Stands

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Rangers17104339142534
2Kilmarnock18104428181034
3Celtic16103336102633
4Aberdeen179352218430
5Hearts189362324-130
6Livingston188462416828
7St Johnstone178452122-128
8Hibernian177552819926
9Motherwell175391827-918
10Hamilton1841131238-2613
11Dundee1723121436-229
12St Mirren1823131336-239
View full Scottish Premiership table

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