A Tense Battle for the Title
Celtic supporters have long since given up any hope of watching their side simply rock up and cruise to victories like the good old days. But at least, against all odds, there is still hope that they will be watching them lift the league trophy in a fortnight. This, as it has been all season, was uncomfortable viewing. This Celtic team have an uncanny knack of making the seemingly straightforward look remarkably difficult.
A goal up through Daizen Maeda and a man to the good following Jamie McGrath’s first-half dismissal at Easter Road, this should have been a stroll to three points. It turned out to be anything but. Joe Newell’s controversial leveller on the stroke of half-time could have put a final nail in Celtic’s coffin, before Kelechi Iheanacho came off the bench to save the day late on.
The fact that they are even involved in this title race is frankly astounding. At their very best, there’s little doubt that they are the best team in the country. 
But let’s face it, you could count on one hand the number of times we’ve seen them play anywhere near it this season. It’s been a campaign of mediocrity and nothing more. And yet, with three games left to play, here they are. Joint top of the table – for 24 hours, at least – and with Rangers and Hearts still to come at home, Martin O’Neill and his men are in an enviable position.
Who cares if they are winning ugly? As champions do, Celtic are getting over the line each week by hook or by crook. Three more victories – aesthetically pleasing or otherwise – could well be enough to defend their crown.
The Rise of Kelechi Iheanacho
The form of Iheanacho during the final stretch may well be the deciding factor. The 29-year-old’s arrival on a free transfer at the tail end of summer was a peculiar one. Goals against Kilmarnock, Motherwell and Red Star Belgrade shut a few naysayers up, before injury saw him miss five months of action.
The signings of Tomas Cvancara and Junior Adamu in January suggested he would struggle to get back into the team if or when he got himself fit. It perhaps says more about how bad those two have been than anything else, but Iheanacho has stepped up to become the go-to guy for the big occasion. His late winner up at Dundee a few weeks ago kept Celtic on life support. His strike here may turn out to be even more important.
In truth, the big man does nothing off the ball. Running into space? Forget it. But give him a chance in front of goal, and he is lethal. And that quality could prove to be the difference.
A Close Encounter
The title-chasers made a fast start here as they sought an early opener to settle the nerves. We saw the best and worst of Maeda within the opening 10 minutes. With Jack Iredale dozing on the edge of his own area, the Japanese striker nicked in to steel possession and feed Yang Hyun-Jun. He drove to the byline before cutting it back for Benjamin Nygren, whose first-time shot was blocked by the sliding Rocky Bushiri.
Maeda then fluffed his lines moments later after breaking the offside trap to get on the end of a Callum McGregor clip over the top. His first touch was rotten, the second wasn’t much better, and the third sent the ball high and wide. Hibs just couldn’t get a hold of things in the early exchanges.
And just shy of the 20-minute mark, they gave Celtic a helping hand they didn’t really need. Quite what McGrath was thinking as he lunged in to Alistair Johnston on the right-hand touchline, only he will know. It was beyond daft. Referee David Dickinson initially brandished a yellow, but quickly swapped it for a red after a quick glance at the pitch-side monitor.
Maeda came close to making the one-man advantage count, racing on to Yang’s wonderful ball in behind, but dragged his effort wide of target. Nygren forced a decent stop from Jordan Smith from 12 yards, before Celtic finally got the breakthrough they were looking for.
It came at the end of slick one-touch interplay on the right between Yang, Nygren and Johnston – making his first start since October – with the marauding full-back picking out Maeda who simply couldn’t miss.
From a Celtic perspective, that should have been that for the first half. Yet it was no great surprise to see them give Hibs a lifeline deep into added-on time. The visitors made a backside of trying to clear their lines from a Nicky Cadden set-piece, and Joe Newell was on hand – quite literally – to prod home from six yards. The ball appeared to strike the Hibs captain on the arm, but the goal stood.
The reason? Insufficient evidence to overturn, apparently. Fair to say everyone – even the man himself – was left a little perplexed.
Nygren had a strong shout for a penalty waved away shortly after the restart after being shoved off the ball by Josh Campbell. The Hibs sub may have got away with one.
With 20 minutes remaining, Luke McCowan played in Maeda, who had all the time in the world to pick his spot. His strike, however, lacked any sort of conviction. On another day, he could have had four. Iheanacho showed him how it’s done 90 seconds later. The Nigerian – only on the field a matter of minutes – calmly chested down inside the box and finished low beyond the reach of Smith. It was relief rather than ecstasy in the away end.
Maeda flashed a couple of balls across goal with no takers as Celtic looked to kill the contest stone dead, but any momentum quickly fizzled out as Hibs threw everything at it. And they came within inches of another equaliser with stoppage-time looming. A hopeful ball forward was knocked down by Dane Scarlett in to the path of fellow sub Ante Suto. He was perhaps a little off balance as he swung a left boot at it from the corner of the six-yard box, but there’s no question he should have tested Viljami Sinisalo.
All eyes now turn to Tynecastle.
