13 MEN DOWN ...AND 21 POINTS ADRIFT
THEY did not pay the ultimate price for their ill-advised attempt to squeeze a sunshine break into a pandemic-ravaged season.
On a ni ght of t orrential downpours in Glasgow, however, there was something f i tting about Celtic’s last lingering hopes of ten in a row being washed away in the cold Scottish rain.
A shadow XI losing a stoppage- t i me equaliser to hopelessly out-of-form Hibernian felt, quite frankly, like the perfect embodiment of the mood that has surrounded Scotland’s reigning — only just — champions for so long now.
In a season of endless unrest, a campaign of poor decisions and unintended consequences, ropey recruitment and questionable crisis management, Neil Lennon’s men do seem intent on finding new and unusual ways to torture their supporters.
The debacle surrounding last night’s game, a fixture that went ahead without the presence of Lennon, John Kennedy and 13 members of the first-team squad, represented merely the latest instalment in a litany of suffering for Celtic fans.
And so, although first-team coach Gavin Strachan managed to guide a weakened but not quite enfeebled home XI — a mix of familiar and youthful faces — to a creditable point, f ew among the Celtic f amily will have celebrated an against-all- odds moral victory.
Sure, David Turnbull scored a peach of a free-kick to tease a bit of joy out of the fanbase with less than ten minutes remaining.
But Kevin Nisbet pounced from close range with the 90 minutes expired, delivering just the kind of dull one that has become commonplace f or Celtic this season.
Hibs were never happy about this game being moved back by 48 hours in order to accommodate Celtic’s jetsetting jaunt.
They weren’t all that thrilled, either, to be facing a patched-up home squad without the benefit of further testing of everyone involved.
The fears of Hibs players — and their families — were hardly without foundation. They harboured genuine concerns of becoming collateral damage in a row that, without being overly dramatic, threatens to nudge Scottish football right back into a second lockdown.
None of which, of course, will even have crossed the minds of those Celtic decision-makers who signed off on ‘the break’.
Yes, amid the chaos and cries of outrage that accompanied the reigning champions all the way home from Dubai, a heavy dose of irony also lingered around this mid-season debacle.
Because Lennon took his men to the Middle East in pursuit of a more perfect brand of big- club preparation.
The intent was to fine tune a misfiring side. To re charge batteries and reset attitudes.
Suitably refreshed and ready to resume their faltering title defence, they’ d return to Scotland ready to hit the ground running.
What could possibly go wrong? Everything. Absolutely everything. And you could forgive Celtic fans for feeling beyond frustrated by events.
The latest banner to be displayed outside the ground yesterday, this one depicting Peter Lawwell as Comical Ali, provided a reminder that Lennon isn’t the only figure being held
accountable. Nor is there any doubt that, in this instance, the Celts must take full and total responsibility f or the l atest misfortune to befall them in this troubled season.
Victims of Boli Bolingoli’s lockdown-breaking idiocy, they were also hard done by when a number of their players were forced to self-isolate as a result of international exposure.
And they were more sinned against than sinning when fans broke all social distancing guidelines during violent protests outside of Celtic Park just last month.
Not that some politicians made the distinction.
But this? Just hold your hands up and take the flak. And forget trying to hide behind the defence cited in yesterday’s statement, where it was argued that ‘a case could well have occurred had the team remained in Scotland’.
It didn’t, though, did it? And Celtic themselves effectively concede that the squad members forced to self-isolate came into contact with Christopher Jullien during air and coach travel — both of which would have been avoided had the team been training at Lennoxtown as usual.
Fortunately for stand-in gaffer Strachan, his club’s strength in depth at least avoided the prospect of us witnessing — ahead of schedule and at a higher level than intended — the full debut of a Celtic ‘colt’ team in senior SPFL competition.
Five of his starting line-up would probably make a case for being among the strongest XI available i n any circumstances, with Callum McGregor, Ismaila Soro, Jeremie Frimpong, Diego Laxalt and — most obviously of all — Turnbull all regulars.
They took a while to settle, right enough, with Nisbet and Joe Newell both testing Scottish Cup-winning goalkeeper Conor Hazard with crisp strikes.
Gradually, though, Celtic began to assert at least some degree of control in the middle of the park — thanks mainly to the efforts of Soro.
When Mikey Johnston caught Newell i n possession, young Cameron Harper really should have squared to one of Tom Rogic or McGregor in the danger area, instead of shooting from a tight angle into the side netting.
Soro and Laxalt both then tested former Arsenal keeper Matt Macey from distance, the debutant doing well on each occasion, before McGregor pulled an ef f ort wide f ol l owing a delightful Turnbull dink over the Hibs back line.
The visitors introduced Lewis Stevenson for his 500th Hibs appearance at half-time, before adding target man Christian Doidge to the mix soon after.
Hazard made a brilliant save at the feet of Melker Hallberg just beyond the hour mark, a lovely pass by Newell opening up the Celtic defence.
But, again, Celtic always looked to have dangerous creative sparks capable of setting the game alight.
Turnbull duly did just that, first winning and then converting a free-kick from the edge of the D.
That was only the set- up, though, for more late drama. More hurt. More disappointment as a Stevie Mallan free-kick wasn’t cleared by the flailing Celtic defence, allowing poacher Nisbet to pounce.
CELTIC (4-2-3-1): Hazard 6; Frimpong 6, Welsh 6, Duffy 6, Laxalt 6; Soro 6, McGregor 6; Turnbull 7, Rogic 5 (Henderson 67), Johnston 6 (Dembele 79); Harper 6 (Okoflex 60). Subs not used: Taylor, Connell, Coffey, Doohan, Ralston, Hjelde. Booked: Soro
HIBERNIAN (3-5-2): Macey 6; P McGinn 6, Porteous 7, Hanlon 6; Wright 6 (Doidge 52), Hallberg 6 (S McGinn 79), Gogic 6, Newell 6 (Mallan 68), Doig 6 (Stevenson 45); Nisbet 7, Murphy 6. Subs not used: Gray, Gullan, Dabrowski, McGregor, Bradley. Booked: Hallberg, Porteous. Man of the match: David Turnbull. Referee: Nick Walsh.