Hibernian 1-2 Celtic: Kyogo Furuhashi inspires Celtic to League Cup win
- Published
Kyogo Furuhashi's second-half brace earned Celtic a first trophy under Ange Postecoglou
The returning Kyogo Furuhashi inspired Celtic to their first trophy under Ange Postecoglou with a compelling Scottish League Cup final victory over manager-less Hibernian.
The Japanese forward - an injury doubt before the game - finished smartly to get Celtic level within a minute of them going behind to Paul Hanlon's towering header for Hibs.
Kyogo was then too quick for Hibs' defenders as he latched on to a quick free-kick to lob goalkeeper Matt Macey and ultimately win Celtic the trophy.
Kevin Nisbet and Hanlon had gilt-edged chances to force extra time, but first the striker headed off a post before Hanlon skied the rebound from 10 yards in the 89th minute. Joe Hart then denied Joe Newell right at the death.
Victory extended Celtic's unbeaten run at Hampden to 18 games, while Hibs - with interim boss David Gray in charge - were left rueing another missed opportunity at the national stadium, having lost last season's Scottish Cup final.
The match only truly came alive in the second-half when Hibs captain Hanlon launched himself at a corner to put his side in front having failed to register a shot on target before the break.
It was all about desire from the skipper, and his effort eventually crept in after striking Josip Juranovic on the goal-line.
The Hibs end at Hampden roared into life, having watched their team play without the ball for large swathes of the first half, but they would not be celebrating for long.
Straight from the restart, Celtic captain Callum McGregor picked out Kyogo in the box with a superb pass, and the forward nudged the ball away from Hanlon with a brilliant touch before planting a finish beyond Macey.
His touch, speed and movement are what mark out Kyogo as a fantastic talent, and his sharpness paid off again 20 minutes later.
While Hibs were re-organising at a free-kick, he sprinted off the shoulder of their back four. Tom Rogic spotted his dart goalward and picked him out, and the Japan international took full advantage to lift the ball sublimely over Macey.
Hibs were left stunned, having had a fantastic opportunity to go in front five minutes before when Nisbet danced into the Celtic box only to be denied by Hart.
And the Easter Road players stood with their hands on their heads in disbelief when Nisbet's late header glanced the upright and Hanlon side-footed over. Hart also stood strong to thwart Newell right at the death.
Instead, Celtic saw out five minutes of injury time to clinch the first piece of silverware on offer to Postecoglou as they continue to build momentum under the Australian.
Man of the match - Kyogo Furuhashi
Who else? Well, it could have been the brilliant Tom Rogic. But Kyogo's two goals were fantastic. The matchwinner.
What did we learn?
What a boost it was for Celtic when news filtered through that Kyogo would be fit to start, having missed the last two games with an injury. His movement is so sharp, and undid Hibs twice. He is the difference maker for Postecoglou's side.
The bigger picture is the boost this could do for this newly put-together Celtic team. Only three of the side who clinched a fourth straight treble against Hearts almost exactly a year ago were in the XI at Hampden. It is not the same group who dominated Scottish football for a decade.
Postecoglou had to rebuild a squad and, after a rocky start, they are unbeaten domestically since September, despite a mountain of injuries - David Turnbull being the latest at Hampden - threatening to derail their challenge.
There is a long way to go in the league, and Rangers' form has improved under Giovanni van Bronckhorst, but Celtic will hope this gives them more momentum.
As for Hibs, they were unable to repeat their semi-final heroics against Rangers. They may feel aggrieved at the first goal, with some claims of offside. There was also a claim for a penalty at the end, too, as Ryan Porteous was challenged in the box.
They created enough chances in the end to at least force extra time, but ended up rueing two moments having defended their box admirably before scoring.
Not having a manager cannot have helped the situation, with the expectation that Shaun Maloney will take charge from Monday. Given some players' outspoken thoughts on the departure of Jack Ross, Hibs might have given themselves a better chance keeping the departed manager in charge for Hampden.
What's next?
There's not much rest for either side with Scottish Premiership fixtures to follow on Wednesday. Hibs host Aberdeen and Celtic are in Paisley to face St Mirren (both 19:45 GMT).