Hibernian 2-2 Celtic
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Hibernian scored twice in a breathtaking final 15 minutes as they came from 2-0 down to hold Celtic.
Two Scott Sinclair goals within five second-half minutes appeared to have put Celtic on their way to victory.
The winger pounced after Odsonne Edouard's effort came off the post, then had a shot deflected in off Hibs midfielder Marvin Bartley.
But former Celtic defender Efe Ambrose's shot deflected in off Scott Brown and Oli Shaw fired the equaliser.
It was end-to-end action thereafter, with chances missed at both ends and Celtic relying on Mikael Lustig's clearance off the line from another Shaw attempt in the final seconds to extend their domestic run without defeat to 68 games.
Hibs had also been close to ending that run before drawing by the same scoreline in Glasgow in September - then lost to Brendan Rodgers' side in a thrilling Scottish League Cup semi-final.
The latest draw means the champions end the weekend with their lead at the top of the Scottish Premiership from Rangers and Aberdeen reduced to five points, although Celtic have a game in hand.
This was an epic tussle that got better and better as the day wore on. The closing stages were so frenetic it rendered the biting cold an irrelevance.
It was bonkers and utterly brilliant. Maybe - probably - the game of the season.
It was embodied in the personal joust between John McGinn and Brown. McGinn is not the sort to be cowed by anybody and Brown, obviously, is not a man to back away from a challenge from a young dog.
It was an excellent feature of an afternoon that looked all Celtic and then, in a blur, became all about Hibs.
Interestingly, it was a day that came and went without Leigh Griffiths. Edouard, ineffective up front, started the game and, later on, Moussa Dembele came on. Griffiths, back in his old stomping ground, remained on the bench.
Celtic have played some big games in the past six weeks - Champions League matches against Anderlecht, PSG and Bayern Munich, a cup final against Motherwell and high-profile league matches against Aberdeen and this one against Hibs.
Griffiths, the one-time go-to man, has not started any. It would appear that, at the moment, the Scot has fallen to third in Rodgers' pecking order.
The visitors really should have gone ahead early on when Dylan McGeouch had a hair-brained moment in defence, gifting the ball to James Forrest, who was immediately one-on-one with Ofir Marciano.
Given Forrest's fine goalscoring form this season, you would have lumped every last penny on him scoring, but he did not. It was as if he was shocked to get the opportunity then lost all composure when pulling it wide.
Celtic turned the screw slowly. They began to dictate the tempo and Hibs dropped deeper and deeper to survive. Eight minutes into the second half, Sinclair got away from Steven Whittaker and Marciano stopped his shot with his feet, but that opening goal would come soon enough.
It could - and should - have been claimed by Edouard, who hit the inside of a post from close range, but the ricochet off the woodwork fell kindly for Sinclair, who rifled it home.
Four minutes later, Sinclair scored again when the space opened up in front of him and his shot was deflected beyond Marciano.
That looked to be that. But no.
Hibs head coach Neil Lennon thought about bringing on Simon Murray, then changed his mind and launched Shaw instead. Some McGinn excellence was the catalyst for Ambrose's goal.
These were madcap moments. An Ambrose blunder allowed Dembele in and only a Marciano save rescued Hibs.
Marciano saved again within minutes, this time from the hat-trick-seeking Sinclair. Then, the equaliser. Easter Road went berserk.
Celtic got themselves in a disorganised mess at the back and Hibs made them pay. Anthony Stokes and Lewis Stevenson set it up for Shaw. who scored just as he had when coming off the bench against Celtic in the semi-final.
What a thrilling comeback it was - and what a frenetic and sensational endgame too. Dedryck Boyota was fortunate to avoid a second yellow with a late foul and then popped up in the Hibs box to almost head the winner, his effort flying over.
With seconds left, Gordon inexplicably dropped a high ball and, for a moment, it looked certain that Celtic's 67-game winning run was about to end.
Shaw - what a prospect this boy looks - was on to it in a flash and drilled his shot goalwards. Just as the Hibs fans were about to rejoice, Lustig flew in and blocked it.
Even then, there was another thrust. Celtic broke free and Sinclair had yet another chance.
This time, his shot was blasted over to the accompanying gasps of every last man, woman and child in Easter Road. An astonishing, breathless game. Wonderful.
- Published10 December 2017
- Published10 December 2017
- Published10 December 2017