2012-12-29: Hibernian 1-0 Celtic, SPL

Match Pictures | Matches: 2012 – 2013 | 2012-13 Pictures

Trivia

• Ending the year clearly top, so earlier murmurs of losing it without Rangers is blown away.
• Celtic remain top of the league despite defeat. 6pts plus game in hand ahead.
• Hibs first home win v Celtic since 2008.
• This has been probably amongst the greatest twelve months of Celtic's history: death of the huns, winning league, qualification to round of 16 European Cup, beating Barcelona and seeing sycophants in media run off their ship.
• Transfer window to open in two days time.
• News stories that behaviour etc at last match (v Dundee) was poor and scary. Shame no stories or pictures could corroborate these stories by the media or Dundee security guys. More their awful security and procedures.

Review

(Henry Clarson of KDS)
One of the challenges that Celtic face is that opponents in Scotland generally regard anything other than a sound thrashing at our hands as a good result.
A draw is excellent.
And actually beating us is a significant career highlight for the majority of their players.

Even if we give a team a right good horsing, they just shrug it off and refocus their attention on competing with their peers.
Their supporters are quite content to watch their players deploying whatever tactics might successfully deny us a goal spree.
There's very little pressure on those teams to do anything other than hold the fort.
That's just the way it is.

By contrast, our supporters – and particularly the younger ones who have no memory of watching truly rotten Celtic teams – seem to think that anything short of a convincing victory in almost every single domestic fixture is a completely unsatisfactory betrayal of Celtic's traditional, glorious style.
But the reality is that although we now have greater resources than any of our Scottish opponents, this does not mean that we can fill the side with geniuses and world-beaters who are entitled to overrun the puny resistance of unworthy opposition by dint of their immeasurable superiority and God-given gifts.
We have played eight games this month.
Now that we've lost one of them to a well organised, hard working, reasonably competent side at their home stadium, there is a bizarre gnashing of teeth and rending of garments in some quarters as if it's an outrageous injustice.
It's not.
It's football.

Hibs did to us what we did to Barcelona.
They prevented theoretically superior opponents from playing to their strengths, pinched a lead and then defended it for all they were worth.
Inspired by the big occasion, they found an energy level and a focussed resolve which simply wasn't there a few days ago when they lost to Ross County.
Indeed it doesn't seem to have been there in any of their recent performances since they last raised the bar by knocking Hearts out of the Cup at the start of the month.
That was another big occasion for the Hibs players.

When we play Hibs, we're not really playing the same team that loses a string of league games to Ross County, Motherwell, ICT, Aberdeen and Dundee.
We're playing a team which is as up for it as Celtic are against Benfica, Spartak Moscow or Barcelona.
And, just as we have proved ourselves to be able to stop those teams from playing at their best, so it is that the boot is on the other foot when we have to solve the problem of unlocking packed defences in Scotland.

On the day, our success will depend upon the conversion rate of the chances we do manage to create.
Today, we had a few chances and didn't take them.
In the Champions League, we had an unusually high conversion rate and that carried us through.
If we can somewhat improbably maintain that preposterously high rate, we might even get past Juventus (so long as they miss their penalties).
But the odds on that happening in every match we play are not good.

We're almost certainly going to have lots of days like today when we fire blanks.
But we'll probably have far fewer of them than any other SPL club so we should win the league.

That's good enough for me and probably for many of us who endured supporting Celtic during periods such as the trophy famine from 1989 until 1998.
That was temporarily alleviated only by a solitary, scrappy Scottish Cup win against the now-defunct Airdrieonians FC in 1995.
The victory was celebrated as if we had won the European Cup again with the trophy being paraded through the streets from Hampden to Celtic Park.
Grim times.
That was a period when sometimes we couldn't even qualify for Europe at any level, far less reach the last 16 of the top tournament while topping the league.
And whenever we did limp into one of the lower UEFA tournaments, we were almost invariably picked off in the early rounds by teams of journeymen who were still canny enough to pick off our naive, "entertaining", cavalry charge mentality.
It took us decades to even start to learn how to play modern European football.

Now we are the Scottish Champions and we are likely to remain so for years.
We are going toe to toe with the very best teams in Europe and holding our own.
Many of the performances won't be pleasing to the eye but I'll happily settle for what we now have with no cheating huns "competing" with us for the title and the occasional defeat at the hands of Hibs, Inverness or Kilmarnock while we eye up a possible place in the Champions League quarter-finals.

Just over a year ago there was a stampede of panic merchants calling for Neil Lennon's dismissal in the wake of a 3-3 draw with Kilmarnock.
The Armageddon scenario at that time was that we had fallen so far behind the Hvns that the league was done and dusted.
It wasn't just Jelavic who was stupid enough to make that claim.
They were queuing up on here to demand the manager's head while lamenting that Craig Whyte's All Stars had disappeared over the horizon towards the SPL title.
Thank God that the Orc Effect didn't drive us off the course that we're still on.
And praise be to Hector that it's no longer a factor at all.
We now have time to develop into a respectable European force without having to worry about the Tax-Dodgers capitalising on any of our domestic stumbles.
These are great days for Celtic supporters, even when the team isn't constantly firing on all cylinders yet.

Even the bad times are good now.

Teams

Articles

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

Pictures

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MOTM

• Voting Thread
• Result Thread
• Winner –
• 2012-13 Winners

Stats

Hibernian Celtic
Possession
56% 44%
90mins

Shots
6 14

On target
2 7

Corners
2 6

Fouls
10 9

Articles

Leigh Griffiths' strike earns Hibernian victory against Celtic

Observer report
Scottish Premier League
Hibernian 1

Griffiths 9

Celtic 0

Press Association
The Observer, Saturday 29 December 2012 17.19 GMT

Neil Lennon blamed himself for starting with the wrong tactics after Celtic went down 1-0 to Hibernian in their Scottish Premier League clash at Easter Road.

The Celtic manager started with a back three of Efe Ambrose, Thomas Rogne and Kelvin Wilson but changed it to a back four after Leigh Griffiths rounded goalkeeper Fraser Forster after eight minutes to score the winner from an acute angle with his 14th goal of the season.

The visitors dominated almost totally thereafter but huffed and puffed when not being denied by Hibees keeper Ben Williams.

Afterwards Lennon, whose side had won their previous six games, said: "Frustration is the key word. First of all I would like to say it was a great atmosphere and a great game, played in a great spirit. But I am not disappointed in our performance at all. I am disappointed with the goal, obviously, and I am disappointed with my own formation, which I changed, so I will take the blame for that. We had two formations set up and I chose the wrong one.

"The three didn't really work for us today and once we went to a flat back four we were more in control and for 70 odd minutes we dominated the game."

He made three changes to his starting 11 with the defenders Thomas Rogne and Mikael Lustig and the striker Lassad Nouioui in for Charlie Mulgrew, Beram Kayal and Tony Watt with the latter two dropping to the bench.

Hibs showed two changes to the side which began the 1-0 home defeat to Ross County on Boxing Day.

Pat Fenlon drafted in defender Lewis Stevenson and midfielder Jorge Claros for David Wotherspoon and Ryan McGivern, the former starting as substitute. Hibs showed two changes to the side that began the 1-0 home defeat to Ross County on Boxing Day. Pat Fenlon drafted in defender Lewis Stevenson and midfielder Jorge Claros for David Wotherspoon and Ryan McGivern, the former starting as substitute. Two minutes after Lustig's free-kick from 25 yards was comfortably saved by Williams, the home side were ahead as the Celtic defence again hesitated.

Griffiths raced on to Paul Hanlon's long ball chased by Rogne and when Forster raced out to meet him, the Hibs striker took the ball wide of the keeper before sliding it with great composure into the net from almost on the byline.

Hibs should have been two ahead when Doyle met a long Griffiths free-kick with his head six yards out but his limp effort went straight to Forster. In the 24th minute, with Celtic beginning to turn the screw, Rogne headed a Lustig corner over the bar.

With Ambrose moving into midfield and it was his mazy run towards the Hibs box where he was fouled by Gary Deegan, which earned the midfielder a booking, that brought the next chance for Celtic. However, Lassad's curling free-kick from 25 yards went high over the bar. Hibs, increasingly ragged and occasionally desperate, could hardly get out of their own half as Celtic pressed hard. But four minutes from the interval Doyle missed another great chance he blazed over the bar from 12 yards with only Forster to beat, after getting the break of the ball.

There was no let-up from Celtic when the second half started and in the opening minutes the ball flew in and around the Hibs box, without finding any takers. There was an appeal for a penalty when Doyle was challenged by Emilio Izaguirre in the Celtic area but the referee Craig Thomson pointed for a goal- kick.

It seemed a matter of time before the SPL leaders would draw level. In the 77th minute the midfielder Victor Wanyama's 30-yard drive screamed just over the bar, before Williams made a decent save from Paddy McCourt with Scott Brown knocking the rebound over.

Moments later, after Ambrose had scooped the ball over from close range, Williams made a great save from Hooper, clawing his shot away from 14 yards for a corner that the Hibs' rearguard again defended. There was time for Williams to make another save, this time from Kayal and the final whistle sounded with Hibs having held out for three points.

BBC

By Kenny Crawford BBC Sport Scotland
Comments (130)

Leigh Griffiths' 14th goal of the season gave Hibernian their first Easter Road win over Celtic since 2008.

The on-loan Wolves striker gave the hosts an early lead from a tight angle after Paul Hanlon's long ball.

Eoin Doyle should have made it two moments later, but headed straight at Fraser Forster from six yards.

Celtic laid siege on the Hibs goal for the last 20 minutes with home keeper Ben Williams saving brilliantly from Paddy McCourt and Gary Hooper.

Hibernian went into this match having taken a point from the Hoops in a 2-2 draw at Celtic Park in September.

However, Celtic had not lost at Easter Road since a 2-0 defeat in December 2008.
Griffiths celebrates

Leigh Griffiths kisses the badge after his match-winning goal to show where his loyalties lie

Hibs made Celtic aware of their attacking threat within the opening five minutes, with Doyle and Paul Cairney both driving into the box to fluster the visiting defence.

In the eighth minute, Mikael Lustig had Celtic's first shot on target with a right-footed curling free-kick from 25-yards which Williams held comfortably.

But 60 seconds later Hibs took the lead.

Griffiths nipped in between Thomas Rogne and Forster to latch on to a long ball from Hanlon. His touch took him beyond Forster and from a tight angle he rolled the ball into an empty net.

Georgios Samaras almost replied immediately for Celtic, hitting the post after Lustig's cut-back – but the whistle had gone for offside.

Doyle should have doubled Hibs' lead on 13 minutes, heading Griffiths' free-kick straight into the arms of Forster from six yards.

Former Hibee Scott Brown put a delicious cross into the box for Lassad Nouioui, but the Tunisian could not rise enough to meet the ball.

Efe Ambrose's surging run drew a foul from Gary Deegan, who received a yellow card for the infringement. Nouioui curled the free-kick harmlessly over from the corner of the box.
Play media

Doyle's menace continued as he smashed a cross off the arm of Rogne from close-range, but referee Craig Thomson waved away the penalty claims.

And in the 42nd minute, it was again Doyle who gave Rogne a headache, charging down the Norwegian's clearance before blazing a right-foot effort over the bar.

The second half was only a minute old when Lustig put an inviting ball across the six-yard box, although it was just too far ahead of Nouioui and Samaras.

On 56 minutes, Doyle did well on the right by-line to cut back for Griffiths, who in turn teed up Deegan in the box, but his scuffed shot caused no harm.

Swedish international Lustig then collected the ball from Samaras on the edge of the box and looked for Nouioui when he should have shot himself.

With 20 minutes remaining, Hibs captain James McPake came up with a vital headed clearance after Lustig's cross seemed destined for Samaras.
Play media

Substitute Beram Kayal should have done better with Hooper's lay-off on 74 minutes, but blasted over.

Victor Wanyama then tried to take matters his own hands with an arrowed shot which had Williams worried on its way over the bar.

The introduction of McCourt gave Hibs' defence more to think about, especially when Williams saved well from the Irishman's thumped effort at the near-post.

In the final 10 minutes, Ambrose's kneed attempt from a corner narrowly missed, then Williams saved expertly from Hooper's deflected shot.

And despite continued pressure heaped on their defence by Neil Lennon's men, Hibs held on to get their first Scottish Premier League win in five games.

Live Text Commentary
90:00 +2:58 Full time

Full Time The game is over, as the referee blows his whistle.
88:36

Beram Kayal takes a shot. Ben Williams makes a save.
86:42 Substitution

Substitution Efe Ambrose leaves the field to be replaced by Dylan McGeouch.
86:05 Substitution

Substitution Danny Handling on for Tom Taiwo.
86:05

The ball is crossed by Mikael Lustig, Tom Taiwo manages to make a clearance.
84:23

Inswinging corner taken from the right by-line by Emilio Izaguirre.
82:50

Gary Hooper takes a shot. Ben Williams makes a save. Corner taken by Emilio Izaguirre from the right by-line, Paul Cairney fouled by Scott Brown, the ref awards a free kick. Lewis Stevenson takes the free kick.
80:41

Emilio Izaguirre takes a inswinging corner. Georgios Samaras decides to take a short corner, Ben Williams fouled by Gary Hooper, the ref awards a free kick. Ben Williams takes the free kick.
78:30

Patrick McCourt takes a shot. Ben Williams makes a save. Effort from deep inside the area by Gary Hooper misses to the left of the goal.
78:17

A cross is delivered by Beram Kayal, clearance by Gary Deegan.
76:51

Victor Wanyama has an effort at goal from outside the box which goes wide left of the goal.
75:58

Free kick crossed left-footed by Emilio Izaguirre, James McPake makes a clearance.
75:58 Booking

Booking Tom Taiwo receives a yellow card for unsporting behaviour.
75:42

Foul by Tom Taiwo on Victor Wanyama, free kick awarded.
74:32

Patrick McCourt delivers the ball, Paul Hanlon manages to make a clearance.
73:17

Shot from just outside the box by Mikael Lustig goes over the bar.
71:11

Kelvin Wilson takes the direct free kick.
71:11 Substitution

Substitution David Wotherspoon replaces Leigh Griffiths.
71:11

Free kick awarded for a foul by Jorge Claros on Beram Kayal.
69:39 Substitution

Substitution Beram Kayal joins the action as a substitute, replacing Thomas Rogne.
68:52

Corner taken by Emilio Izaguirre from the left by-line played to the near post, save made by Ben Williams.
68:43

Centre by Mikael Lustig, Paul Hanlon makes a clearance.
68:30

Emilio Izaguirre sends in a cross, Mikael Lustig manages to make a clearance.
66:40

Mikael Lustig takes the free kick.
66:40 Booking

Booking Booking for Efe Ambrose.
66:32

Free kick awarded for an unfair challenge on Efe Ambrose by Paul Cairney.
65:05

Free kick taken by Fraser Forster.
65:05 Substitution

Substitution Patrick McCourt comes on in place of Lassad Nouioui.
65:05

The assistant referee signals for offside against Paul Cairney.
61:38

Victor Wanyama produces a right-footed shot from just outside the area that goes wide left of the goal.
60:46

Leigh Griffiths has an effort at goal from just outside the box which goes wide of the right-hand post.
60:04

Eoin Doyle fouled by Emilio Izaguirre, the ref awards a free kick. Leigh Griffiths takes the free kick.
57:52 Substitution

Substitution Tim Clancy leaves the field to be replaced by Alan Maybury.
56:47

The ball is crossed by Emilio Izaguirre, Jorge Claros manages to make a clearance.
56:31

Georgios Samaras restarts play with the free kick.
56:31 Booking

Booking Booking for Tim Clancy.
56:20

Foul by Tim Clancy on Georgios Samaras, free kick awarded.
55:51

Gary Deegan takes a shot.
51:14

The ball is crossed by Scott Brown, clearance by Jorge Claros.
49:02

The ball is delivered by Mikael Lustig, save by Ben Williams.
47:28

Unfair challenge on Mikael Lustig by Paul Cairney results in a free kick. The ball is delivered by Emilio Izaguirre, Header by Scott Brown from deep inside the penalty area misses to the left of the target.
46:48

The ball is swung over by Mikael Lustig.
45:41

Lassad Nouioui takes a shot. Save made by Ben Williams.
45:01

The second half has started.
45:00 +0:07 Half time

Half Time It is the end of the first-half.
44:27

Leigh Griffiths takes a inswinging corner from the right by-line to the near post.
43:15

Free kick awarded for a foul by Victor Wanyama on Tom Taiwo. Free kick taken by Tim Clancy.
41:08

Close range effort by Eoin Doyle goes over the bar.
39:56

Georgios Samaras produces a cross, save made by Ben Williams.
39:11

Centre by Mikael Lustig, clearance made by Paul Hanlon.
37:22

Free kick awarded for a foul by Jorge Claros on Victor Wanyama. Kelvin Wilson takes the free kick.
37:15

The ball is swung over by Eoin Doyle, Scott Brown manages to make a clearance.
36:07

Foul by Mikael Lustig on Paul Cairney, free kick awarded. Ben Williams takes the free kick.
35:59

The ball is swung over by Mikael Lustig, clearance by Paul Hanlon.
34:25

The ball is delivered by Georgios Samaras.
34:25

Centre by Georgios Samaras.
32:41

A cross is delivered by Emilio Izaguirre, save made by Ben Williams.
31:59

Jorge Claros challenges Victor Wanyama unfairly and gives away a free kick. Direct free kick taken by Kelvin Wilson.
29:17

Strike comes in from Lassad Nouioui from the free kick.
29:17 Booking

Booking Gary Deegan is given a yellow card.
29:03

Free kick awarded for an unfair challenge on Victor Wanyama by Gary Deegan.
26:50

Georgios Samaras takes a shot. Jorge Claros gets a block in.
26:36

The ball is delivered by Jorge Claros.
23:25

Tom Taiwo concedes a free kick for a foul on Georgios Samaras. Scott Brown crosses the ball in from the free kick, clearance by Paul Hanlon. Corner from the right by-line taken by Mikael Lustig, Close range headed effort by Thomas Rogne clears the crossbar.
22:44

Eoin Doyle takes a shot. Leigh Griffiths gets a block in. Leigh Griffiths is caught offside. Fraser Forster takes the indirect free kick.
22:12

Gary Hooper takes a shot. Save by Ben Williams.
15:55

The referee blows for offside. Ben Williams takes the free kick.
15:02

The assistant referee flags for offside against Leigh Griffiths. Emilio Izaguirre takes the free kick. Unfair challenge on Gary Deegan by Victor Wanyama results in a free kick. Jorge Claros restarts play with the free kick. Free kick awarded for an unfair challenge on Georgios Samaras by Tim Clancy. Direct free kick taken by Emilio Izaguirre.
13:36

Gary Hooper gives away a free kick for an unfair challenge on Jorge Claros. Tim Clancy restarts play with the free kick.
11:39

Free kick awarded for a foul by Mikael Lustig on Paul Cairney. Leigh Griffiths crosses the ball, Eoin Doyle takes a shot. Fraser Forster makes a save.
10:34

Gary Hooper is flagged offside by the assistant referee. Ben Williams takes the free kick.
8:50

Lewis Stevenson provided the assist for the goal.
8:50 Goal scored

Goal – Leigh Griffiths – Hibernian 1 – 0 Celtic Leigh Griffiths gets on the score sheet with a goal from inside the six-yard box to the bottom right corner of the goal. Hibernian 1-0 Celtic.
6:48

Handball decision goes against Jorge Claros. Shot comes in from Mikael Lustig from the free kick, save by Ben Williams.
5:49

Inswinging corner taken by Leigh Griffiths from the right by-line played to the near post, clearance by Thomas Rogne.
4:51

Victor Wanyama concedes a free kick for a foul on Paul Cairney. Paul Hanlon takes the direct free kick.
0:00

The game begins.

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