HIBS 1 CELTIC 2
KELECHI IHEANACHO provided that little piece of composure to apply the killer touch at Easter Road this afternoon to propel Celtic to joint top of the Premiership.
The champions were deadlocked at 1-1 when he struck in the 72nd minute to make sure the points were heading home with the champions.
Iheanacho had just come onto the pitch as a substitute for Yang Hyun-jun when he was given the opportunity to show his penalty-box prowess and he didn’t disappoint as he delivered the winner.
As the ball hit the back of the Hibs net, the cheers from the fans were as much in relief as elation.
Iheanacho was the hero of the late 2-1 win over Kilmarnock at Rugby Park back in September and the 2-1 victory over Dundee at Dens Park last month while his extra-time double against St Mirren eased the Hoops to a 6-2 success and a Scottish Cup Final place against Dunfermline on May 23.
HEAVEN’S ABOVE…Kelechi Iheanacho has a quiet moment after netting the winner.
An extraordinary first-half in which Hibs had a player red-carded and Maeda fired the Hoops into the lead came to a close with a controversial VAR decision to award an equaliser after the ball had clearly hit scorer Joe Newell on the right arm.
It was a stunning finale to three minutes stoppage-time after the champions had dominated against a side that had been reduced to 10 men in the 21st minute after Jamie McGrath wildly scythed down Alistair Johnston.
Referee David Dickinson booked the midfielder, but Don Robertson, in front of the screens, flagged up a review.
The match official had another look and to no-one’s surprise came back onto the pitch, scrapped the yellow card and banished the culprit.
Ironically, McGrath had been involved in Auston Trusty’s dodgy red card at Parkhead in the previous game in which the Hoops defender had been sent off after a VAR intervention.
And Robertson and his team were brought into action again in the 41st minute when Maeda whipped a low right-wing cross from Johnston into the net from close-range.
The assistant official flagged for offside, but pictures proved the Japanese hitman was in a legal position when he turned the ball into the net.
HERE WE GO…Daizen Maeda prepares to put the finishing touch to a low cross from Alistair Johnston (extreme left) to fire Celtic into the lead.
That strike looked good enough to give the visitors a deserved interval advantage until a series of blunders allowed Hibs back into the encounter in first-half stoppage-time.
Liam Scales kicked off the errors with a slack pass to an opponent. Sebastian Tounekto compounded the mistake by needlessly barging into the Hibs player to gift the hosts a free-kick wide on the right.
Viljami Sinisalo punched the first effort clear, but it was worked back and another ball was aimed at his back post.
For no discernible reason, Benjamin Nygren then headed the ball across his own goalmouth, Sinisalo couldn’t get to it and it dropped at the feet of Newell who walloped a drive into the gaping net.
Images showed the ball brushing off the right arm of the player before he lashed home. Incredibly, VAR, after spending a minute or so checking the incident, awarded the goal.
That is a quite amazing decision. There is no argument. It should have been wiped out.
HIBS’ HANDY MAN…Joe Newell thumps in the controversial equaliser.
Goalscorer Newell looked like the most relieved man in Edinburgh when the goal stood.
The second-half had a lively start with a low ball from Tounekti on the left sweeping across the face of the goal and Maeda and Yang just a stud’s length away from making a connection.
In the 63rd minute, Martin O’Neill made his first changes as he sent on Luke McCowan and James Forrest for Johnston and Tounekti.
Seven minutes later, Iheanacho joined the action as he took over from Yang with Maeda moving back to the left wing.
And it was the experienced Nigerian international striker who had the final say that divided the clubs in the 72nd minute.
Tierney thumped over a right-wing corner-kick that cleared a crowd of players at the near post and fell to Iheanacho eight yards out.
He killed the ball on the chest and then swept a left-foot drive wide of the helpless Jordan Smith.
THE WINNER…Kelechi Iheanacho slams in the points-clincher.
Three minutes later, Anthony Ralston replaced Nygren as O’Neill rejigged his formation.
There were a couple of anxious moment as a spirited home team pushed for an equaliser.
Celtic gifted them possession too often to be comfortable and were slow to second balls, but it was job done when the referee blew for full-time after four minutes of stoppage-time.
A word about the Celtic fans. They were superb throughout and their wholehearted support lifted the team when they needed it most. Well played, Hoops followers!
Now we can all sit back and watch the action from Tynecastle tomorrow night when something has to give.
TEAM: Sinisalo; Johnston (sub: McCowan 63), Trusty, Scales, Tierney; Nygren (sub: Ralston 75), McGregor, Engels; Yang, (sub: Iheanacho 70) Maeda, Tounekti (sub: Forrest 63).
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