Marc Rieper's lone strike proved enough for Celtic to edge to a vital success
at Easter Road to remain top of the Scottish Premier Division.
Their past two matches had seen emphatic home wins against Kilmarnock and
Dunfermline - but titles are often won more by steel than skill.
Previous Celtic sides of the past decade might have buckled under the home
pressure which followed Danish international Rieper's 25th-minute strike.
But the Parkhead outfit proved their resolve with a defiant second half
against a Hibernian side whose play belied their basement position.
The Edinburgh team would be well away from the bottom had they shown more
often this season the spirit which turned what might have been a straightforward
Celtic win into a narrow one.
Ultimately it was more of a result than a performance from Celtic, whose fans
were urging the match to finish throughout the tense closing stages.
Jackie McNamara and Alan Stubbs each, as expected, passed late fitness tests
for Celtic, while Hibernian gave a debut to Grant Brebner.
The on-loan Manchester United midfielder made an immediate impact, curling a
20-yard effort against the bar after only two minutes with Celtic keeper
Jonathan Gould beaten.
Moments later Harald Brattbakk, entering the match with seven goals in his
last three games, should have improved that record even further, angling a
close-range drive wide of the post.
Morten Wieghorst missed two chances in as many minutes, first driving wide
after being set up by Henrik Larsson, then chesting down a McNamara cross well
but firing over.
But his fellow Dane Rieper made no mistake five minutes later to put Celtic
ahead after a desperate goalmouth scramble.
It looked as if Stubbs had put the ball in as he got the better of home keeper
Bryan Gunn at the far post, but the Hibernian defence managed to scramble
clear.
The ball broke kindly for Rieper, who drilled in a low shot from eight yards
to secure Celtic a vital 25th-minute advantage.
This was almost doubled on the half-hour mark as Craig Burley sent a powerful
shot narrowly over from distance.
Encouraged by his goal, Rieper tried an ambitious 30-yard shot five minutes
before the interval but this time the ball sailed wide of the mark.
In the closing minute of a half Celtic dominated after an uncertain opening,
Gunn pushed away a fierce near-post effort from the impressive McNamara.
Stubbs sustained a head injury in the first minute after the restart following
a collision with John Hughes but was able to continue after treatment.
Larsson released Stephane Mahe on the left after 50 minutes but his cut-back
was superbly read by Brian Welsh, who intercepted with Brattbakk ready to
pounce.
But Hibernian showed their determination not to go down a division without a
fight as they turned the tide in the final half-hour.
After 58 minutes Kevin Harper's free-kick was headed over by a well-placed
John Hughes as Hibernian spurned a fine chance to draw level.
They were unfortunate four minutes later, however, when Barry Lavety struck a
close-range shot which was blocked by Stubbs almost inadvertently when the ball
seemed goalward bound.
Celtic's lead was by now looking fragile - and their mood worsened when denied
a penalty claim for Andy Dow's challenge on Wieghorst after 73 minutes.
With Brattbakk's touch letting him down, Simon Donnelly entered the fray to
offer Celtic further attacking options as a second goal looked as though it
might be required.
It certainly would have helped. Willie Miller's last-minute shot missed the
target by very little and Celtic did not win by much.
But crucially they did win and with Rangers and Hearts sharing the points at
Ibrox they move two points clear at the summit.
Teams
Hibernian: Gunn, Miller, Boco, Brebner, Hughes, Welsh,
Harper (Jackson 64), Dow, Crawford, Lavety, Rougier.
Subs Not Used: Dods, Walker.
Booked: Lavety.
Celtic: Gould, Boyd, Mahe, McNamara (O'Donnell 86), Rieper,
Stubbs, Larsson, Burley, Brattbakk (Donnelly 73), Lambert,
Wieghorst.
Subs Not Used: Annoni.
Goals: Rieper 25.
Att: 15,137
Ref: J McCluskey (Stewarton).
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