2011-07-24: Hibernian 0-2 Celtic, SPL

Trivia

• First League Game of the season.
• Rangers drew 1-1 with Hearts; we are two points ahead. Motherwell top after 3-0 win over Inv Caley.
• Perfectly good goal by Wilson chopped off; Celtic (Hooper) miss a penalty!!!!
• Daily Record tried to claim that Lennon had made a threat over the missed penalty, however that was completely untrue… See Daily Record back page and Celtic response below.
• Ally McCoist new manager of Rangers (full-time); new chairman of Rangers also.
• Record early start of season just in case we have another bad January and the Euros start next June.

Review

A good win on a day that overall we were well short of our best – but thats the first competitive game of the season for you. We were very rusty in the first half but should have been 2 up at half-time. We got a lucky break of the hibs keeper but Stokes took his goal very well.

Second-half was a different story – Kayal and Izzy got their arse in gear and that brought Ledley in from the innocent bystander role he had in the first half. We should have won by five today and missing penalities is a serious problem for us.

Ki was fantastic – this kid will go to the top. I thought Kelvin Wilson was really excellent. Loovens? yes he did well for most of the game certainly but he made a major ballsup when he let O'Connor got through on him at the end. We got away with it but that was terrible defending and ruined a decent performance. Zaluska did fine- which is what he usually has done for us since joining apart from last August. Cooper & Hooper had stinkers but not as bad as Brines – and these guys got a payrise?

Teams

Articles

• Match Report (see end of page below)
• Audio Report: Paradise Report

Pictures

• Match Pictures

Forum

• Pre-match
• Match
• Post Match

MOTM

• Voting Thread
• Result Thread
• Winner – Ki Sung Yueng
• 2011-12 Winners

Stats

Articles

• Celebrating his and Celtic's opener – Anthony Stokes

Stokes was on hand to loft the ball into the net from a tight angle after the goalkeeper had come and failed to hold Kris Commons free-kick, a cruel blow for Colin Calderwood's side who had given as good as they had got up until that point.

Sung Yueng Ki drilled home a second for Celtic in the 63rd minute before Stack pulled off a stunning spot-kick save to prevent Gary Hooper making it three following Ivan Sproule's trip on Emilio Izaguirre.

Hibs would just have been congratulating themselves on the promising start they had made when they were stunned as Celtic took the lead from what was virtually their first threat on the home goal.

But again the wound was very much self-inflicted, Stack failing to hold Commons' free-kick from the right touchline when he might have elected to punch.

Stokes was lurking beyond the far post and had time to swivel and lash a rising shot high into the net from a tight angle. Stack was left complaining he'd been the victim of a nudge but while he was certainly under pressure from two Celtic players referee Iain Brines saw nothing wrong.

Mark Wilson thought he'd made it two for the Hoops in the 20th minute but was rather harshly adjudged offside while Hibs, for their part, hadn't let that setback get them down., David Wotherspoon delivering a great cross which was just too high for the impressive Matt Thornhill before Ivan Sproule sent a low ball across goal only to see it elude Wotherspoon's run.

Other than Stack's error there had been nothing between the sides in that first half and Hibs went looking for an equaliser on the restart, Callum Booth's through ball allowing Sproule to stretch his legs.

But Kelvin Wilson and Izaguirre just managed to stop the Northern Ireland winger enjoying a dream return to Easter Road.

Hibs, however, were dealt a blow on the hour mark as Sean O'Hanlon's SPL debut came to a premature end, the centre half appearing to have gone over on an ankle as he was replaced by David Stephens.

The substitute hadn't enjoyed a touch of the ball before Stokes turned supplier, edging the ball out for Ki who wasted no time in drilling a low shot from 20 yards beyond the despairing dive of Stack.

That goal came in the 63rd minute and four minutes later the game looked to be all over as far as Hibs were concerned when the backtracking Sproule took the legs of Izaguirre inches inside the penalty area, referee Iain Brines having no hesitation in pointing to the spot.

But Stack made amends somewhat for his earlier mistake with a stunning save, guessing correctly as he dived to his right to push Gary Hooper's effort from 12 yards onto the post before the Celtic striker knocked the rebound wide.

Hibs: Stack, Palsson, O'Hanlon (Stephens 60), Hanlon, Booth, Murray (Crawford 85), Stevenson (Galbraith 70), Sproule, Thornhill, Wotherspoon, O'Connor. Subs not used: Brown, Scott, Stephens, De Graaf.

Celtic: Zaluska, M Wilson, Loovens, K Wilson, Izaguirre, Commons (Forrest 60), Ki, Kayal, Ledley, Stokes (Samaras 79), Hooper (Maloney 85). Subs not used: Cervi, Matthews, Mulgrew, Wanyama.

Referee: Iain Brines.

By Andy Campbell
BBC Sport Scotland

Ki sealed Celtic's win with a well-struck shot Celtic opened their Scottish Premier League account with a solid three points against Hibernian at a sun-drenched Easter Road.

Anthony Stokes capitalised on an error by Hibs goalkeeper Graham Stack to fire Celtic in front after 14 minutes.

Ki Sung-Yueng's low left-foot strike doubled the visitors' advantage after the break.

Stack atoned for his earlier mistake when he saved Gary Hooper's penalty but Hibs were rarely in the match.

The home side pressed in the opening 10 minutes but their delivery let them down and Celtic soon found themselves in front when Stack was caught out at a free-kick.

The keeper came off his line to collect Kris Commons's deep delivery but allowed the ball to slip through his grasp and, after the ball had fallen at the feet of Stokes, the striker found the back of the net from a tight angle. Goalkeeper Stack was at fault for Celtic's first goal The visitors had the ball in the net again minutes later when Mark Wilson, captaining the side in the absence of the suspended Scott Brown, stabbed the ball past Stack but the offside flag had been raised against the defender, although television replays suggested he was onside.

Hibs rallied and the physical presence of Garry O'Connor and the pace of Ivan Sproule – both beginning their second spells at Easter Road – combined to create an opening for David Wotherspoon but the midfielder could not get into the danger area in time to meet the cross.

Sproule almost got through the visiting defence early in the second half when he chased a long ball but Celtic debutant Kelvin Wilson averted the danger and Sproule's claims he was fouled were not rewarded.

Celtic stretched their lead on 63 minutes when Ki collected Stokes's pass about 25 yards from goal and leisurely slotted the ball past Stack.

The hosts looked for a quick reply and O'Connor should have done better when found by Sproule's cross, the striker missing his kick altogether.

Sproule fouled Emilio Izaguirre on the left-hand edge of the box to give Celtic a chance at a third goal but Hooper's spot-kick was well saved on to the post by Stack, who made sure the rebound was not pounced upon by an opponent.

However, the keeper's intervention failed to ignite a Hibs comeback and Ki sent a rasping drive over in the closing stages.