WAVE DUBAI TO THE TEN..
Celts sure to be isolating from SPFL trophy after latest farce
CELTIC’S controversial Dubai trip came back to haunt them as the coronavirus- hit Parkhead side’s makeshift line- up allowed Kevin Nisbet to snatch a 1- 1 draw for visitors Hibernian.
Boss Neil Lennon, his assistant John Kennedy and 13 f i rst- t eam players sat out the game after being ordered to self- isolate on their return from their Dubai training camp.
That ruling came after injured defender Christopher Jullien was confirmed to have contracted the virus while in the Middle East with his team- mates.
And there was another sickener for the reigning champions - who had first- team coach Gavin Strachan in the dugout - as Nisbet smashed home in injury- time to cancel out David Turnbull’s late free- kick.
The gamble in f lying 3,000 miles during a global pandemic has well and truly backfired for Lennon and his team, who now find themselves 21 points behind runaway Premiership leaders Rangers, albeit with three games in hand.
The track and trace blow came just hours b e f ore k i c k- of f a s C e l t i c confirmed the game would go ahead without a host of their big names.
Captain Scott Brown led the list of notable absentees, with no sign of first- choice goalkeeper Vasilis Barkas, defenders Kristopher Ajer and Hatem a b d E l h a m e d , m i d f i e l d m e n Mohamed Elyounoussi, Ryan Christie and Olivier Ntcham, nor strikers Odsonne Edouard, Leigh Griffiths and Albian Ajeti either.
Yet the champions were still able to f i el d a t eam containing eight establi sh ed f i r st - t eamers, whil e back- up stopper Conor Hazard and Stephen Welsh have both played a handful of games this season.
Only American winger Cameron Harper was new to first- team action as he started up front.
Hibs reluctantly l ined up after failing with a late bid to force Celtic to retest their squad, having been warned by the SPFL they would face “severe consequences” if they did not fulfil the fixture.
Celtic were hardly dominant yet they might have grabbed a lead had Harper not taken a shot himself - finding only the side- netting - when he had Tom Rogic and Turnbull screaming for a cutback.
Ismaila Soro and Diego Laxalt both tried their luck from distance in the minutes before the break but Matt Macey - making his Hibs debut - got hands on both efforts.
Callum Mcgregor then dragged wi d e a f t e r b e i n g p l ay e d i n by Turnbull’s spooned pass.
Harper had to be replaced on the hour after going down with cramp and Strachan was forced to bring on another youngster i n Armstrong Oko- Flex.
That underlined Celtic’s lack of cutting edge but it appeared that Turnbull had got them out of jail with eight minutes left. Brought down by Hibs sub Stephen Mcginn, he got up to whip a fabulous free- kick over the wall and past Macey.
But Celti c’s Achil l es heel was exposed yet again 60 seconds into stoppage time when the vi sitors equalised.
Stevie Mallan’s free- kick was met by Paul Mcginn and while Shane Duffy cleared the ball off the line, Nisbet was able to ram home from close range.