Wake-up call for Hoops’ dream of 10-in-a-row
HIBS 2 Murphy (52), Nisbet (59) CELTIC 2 Edouard (pen, 78), Laxalt (90) Time alone will tell whether this was the weekend when Celtic’s bid to win 10-in-a-row suffered irretrievable damage.
Rangers will need to see off Aberdeen at Ibrox to take full advantage of this latest slip from a team who are making a nasty habit of coming up short in important matches.
However, should they do so, Steven Gerrard’s men will carry an 11-point lead over their rivals going into December, having played an extra game.
Here, in a thrilling encounter, Jamie Murphy, a Rangers player on loan at Hibs, did everything he possibly could to sink them. He scored one and then set up one.
What he could not do, was keep out goals at the other end.
And with Celtic digging deep, the visitors managed to battle back to grab a draw.
Odsonne Edouard converted a penalty as if missing was impossible and the man from Milan, Diego Laxalt, smashed home a cracker to make it 2-2.
Up until then, though, this was all about Murphy and the dramatic contribution he made early in the second half.
He started with a fine goal, the winger following up when Kevin Nisbet’s penalty was saved by Scott Bain to shoot low into the corner of the net.
Celtic had only themselves to blame.
Firstly, Scott Brown was at fault for conceding the spot kick. The Hoops skipper bundled into the back of Martin Boyle when the winger was on the far corner of the box and posing no obvious threat. Then, after their goalkeeper had bailed them out with a stop, they failed to get the rebound first.
Not that that was of any concern for Murphy, the winger running to the corner flag to celebrate wildly.
The scorer then turned provider for Hibs’ second, Nisbet running on to his headed assist to smash a left-foot shot into the net.
“I’ve had one or two texts already from Rangers boys,” said Murphy with a smile afterwards.
“But that doesn’t come into my thinking now.
“I’m a Hibs player, I’m going to be here next year and I’m looking forward to signing on permanently. It’s all about Hibs for me now, getting goals and assists.
“It’s disappointing in the end to put all that work in against a good side but concede a goal in the last minute.
“But I was delighted with my goal. Sometimes you have to gamble on a penalty and I was ready to tap in the rebound.
“I swung the left foot at it and it managed to get in. It was my first goal for Hibs at Easter Road in a big game so hopefully there’s a few more to come.
“I’m enjoying it here because I know what the manager wants me to do.
“I’ve got a real understanding of what they expect from me here.”
For all Celtic’s fightback, they were guilty of allowing this game to drift up until that point.
Despite being hurried up their opponents at every turn, they were able to dominate possession.
One particularly nice piece of play saw Ryan Christie somehow manage to skip past Ryan Porteous on the by-line when he appeared to have painted himself into a corner.
His cutback to Mohamed Elyounoussi was a good one but the Norwegian internationalist had his shot blocked and the chance was gone.
As much as he was doing the right things, Elyounoussi gave the impression that this was a nearly-butnot-quite day for him.
He did brilliantly, for example, to arrive fast and unmarked to get his head on a Christie corner – which he put way off target.
Another time, the spin of a ricocheted shot caught him out as he attempted to reach the rebound and he fell clumsily to the ground.
It was one of those moments which, had there been a crowd in, would have erupted with laughter.
Albian Ajeti, rewarded for his stint of extra fitness work over the international break with a start, wasn’t the best either.
The league might not be over yet but a few more of these displays from Celtic and it soon will be.