HIBS ARE THE PARTY POOPERS

Kamberi and Co too hot for Hoops to handle in the Leith sunshine as title champagne is put on ice

THOSE Celtic supporters who craved the opportunity to win the title next Sunday may yet get their wish. But with Hibs in such impressive form, Rangers have something more tangible to fear than a loss of face at the home of their bitterest rivals. This result not only denied Brendan Rodgers’ players the opportunity to celebrate their seventh consecutive title in the Leith sunshine, it also saw Hibs put down an impressive marker in the threeway fight for second place.

Neil Lennon made his name as a title-winning midfielder, captain and manager during his long association with Celtic but he has transferred all of his competitive edge to his current employers.

After securing promotion in his first season in the job, he could be about to pull off something even more impressive in year two. As things stand, Hibs look to have the legs on both Rangers and Aberdeen.

A more rounded manager than the figure who left Parkhead in 2014, Lennon is sure to figure highly on any potential list of successors when Rodgers eventually leaves.

On a day when UK-wide headlines were linking the Parkhead boss to the Arsenal job set to be vacated by Arsene Wenger, Lennon did his reputation absolutely no harm at all.

Celtic won’t dwell too long on the disappointment. They have four more shots at wrapping up a seventh successive crown and this fixture always had the potential to be the most taxing of the post-split schedule.

Hibs are a team with the bit between their teeth and, if they are successful in securing a European place, Lennon’s bold calls in the January transfer window will have been key. The decision to ship out both his marquee signing Anthony Stokes and top scorer Simon Murray was brave, but has been rewarded handsomely.

In loan signings Florian Kamberi and Jamie Maclaren, Lennon has recruited a strikeforce that combines goals with game intelligence and an uncompromising physical presence.

It was Australian Maclaren who scored the breakthrough goal in this game but so much of Celtic’s discomfort was caused by Kamberi, a bustling menace of a striker who has enough subtlety about his game to produce the kind of cross that assisted substitute Vykintas Slivka for the clincher.

‘We were first to wear the green’ taunted the Hibs fans in the early stages, and their heroes were first to every ball against a set of opponents clad in garish pink.

A clash between Celtic’s first, second and third kits had forced Rodgers’ players into the cerise outfit and the performance was similarly mismatched to the mantle of champions.

Celtic’s defence has been the meanest in the country this term but this was the fourth occasion on which Lennon’s Hibs have managed to score twice against them.

Rodgers went with a formation that accommodated Jack Hendry on the right of a back three, with James Forrest and Kieran Tierney deployed as wing-backs on the outside of a midfield diamond.

Both teams tore into it but it quickly became apparent that Hibs felt the greater urgency.

A frantic opening saw the hosts threaten first, with Kamberi combining with Dylan McGeouch to draw a save from Craig Gordon on the angle. From the corner, the Swiss was even more ambitious but scissor-kicked his volley over the bar.

Celtic responded with an eye-catching counter conducted by Kristoffer Ajer, who strode out of the middle of the defence and carried the ball almost the full length

of the field. Leigh Griffiths combined with Tom Rogic, who was denied by Ofir Marciano.

The Israeli keeper then shifted his feet quickly to reposition and denied Griffiths with a leaping save on the rebound.

Hibs were that bit quicker to the punch and edged in front after pressing high and forcing Gordon to loft a pass onto Hendry’s head.

Hendry could only help the ball on and Lewis Stevenson was on his toes to intercept and drive into the space left by the ex-Dundee player. Kamberi temporarily took over, allowing Stevenson to advance on the overlap and size up his final ball.

Hovering at the back post, Maclaren finished the move, although he may just have crept offside before the ball was released.

Hibs continued to push. Dedryck Boyata nearly put through his own net, Danny Swanson tested Gordon and then Paul Hanlon rose to send a header just wide on the brink of half-time.

Rodgers needed to change something— and both shape and personnel looked different upon the resumption.

Olivier Ntcham, who had earlier went down after contesting a challenge with Efe Ambrose, was sacrificed to make way for Scott Sinclair, with the defence remodelled to a back four.

One of Celtic’s main problems was that Griffiths, starting for the first time since late January in place of the injured Moussa Dembele, couldn’t get a proper foothold in the match.

Celtic badly missed the Frenchman as a focal point and Griffiths was substituted having barely registered a shot on goal.

Rogic came closest to claiming an equaliser, after being slid through by Sinclair, but the Australian — another who looked off the pace — prodded his shot straight at Marciano.

Rodgers threw Odsonne Edouard on for Griffiths, while Patrick Roberts took over for Forrest.

Edouard would find the net but it was Lennon’s substitutions that had the greater impact.

Like Roberts, Brandon Barker has been brought to Scotland from Manchester City to provide some gold dust from the flanks but has been hampered by injury.

Given 25 minutes to impress, he took every opportunity to run at Celtic’s defence and, had he shown more composure after leaving Boyata in a heap, he might have doubled Hibs’ advantage instead of dragging his shot wide.

Instead that honour fell to his fellow sub Slivka. The Lithuanian started brightly at Hibs, scoring on his first start at Ibrox but had to play the role of reserve for much of the season.

His fine headed finish was another decisive blow but the bulk of the credit goes to Kamberi who held off Boyata and delivered the cross for a goal that had the stadium bouncing.

Celtic looked shocked and became so muddled that Rogic ended up in the left-back position, attempting an inadequate backpass to his goalkeeper. Martin Boyle chased it down and did enough to force it behind Gordon. Ajer did his job and got back to scoop the ball away before it crossed the line.

Celtic had a goal in them and it came at the end of a sharp passage of play that saw all three subs combine with Callum McGregor. Edouard showed no panic as he advanced on Marciano and slid a firm finish into the bottom corner.

Edouard made himself a hero with his match-winning goal at Ibrox in March and, assuming Rangers do not slip up against Hearts this afternoon, he might be given another shot at glory in next weekend’s Old Firm derby.