Does a manager, standing and bawling by the side of a pitch, have any real influence on his team? With Neil Lennon looking down from the stand, serving the fourth of his five-match touchline ban, Celtic put Hibernian to the sword last night, lending credence to the view that perhaps Lennon should just stay put once his punishment is up.
Celtic’s slaughter was brisk, early, and merciless. Colin Calderwood’s team, supposedly less susceptible than in the early, shambolic months of the season in Edinburgh, went back to their bad old ways, and were finished inside the first 45 minutes. Celtic should have won by 4-1, at the very minimum, but Gary Hooper, in going for a hat-trick, fluffed a penalty five minutes from time.
A former Hibernian striker, meanwhile, made his own case for a more regular Celtic career. Anthony Stokes’s father, in a famous whinge two weeks ago, complained that his son was being maltreated by Celtic, given his tally of goals yet irregular starts.
Stokes junior immediately distanced himself from these comments, but the striker’s eighteenth goal of the season for Celtic last night spoke its own truth.
Stokes is by no means the complete player, but his currency — goals — is the most revered in the game. He also offered much in aid of Hooper, who settled for two goals.
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Some of Celtic’s play, if not quite outright showboating, was certainly a touch flashy. They had Hibernian speared inside the opening 20 minutes and created a horde of scoring chances.
There was a cheek and sharpness about Celtic, especially in the opening half, where at times they wanted to walk or waltz through the visiting defence. The consequence was a splurge of early goals that killed off Hibernian.
The Edinburgh side, you thought, had come with a decent enough strategy to Glasgow, willing to throw men forward in support of Derek Riordan and Ricardo Vaz Te. But what Calderwood did not bargain for was losing a goal as early as the fourth minute, and then being two down after 19 minutes.
How many times does an opposition manager come to Ibrox or Celtic Park and ask their players to weather the early siege, only for the instruction to go ignored? Hibernian last night sacrificed their chances of claiming anything from this game before the proceedings had scarcely started.
Mark Brown had already had to save at point-blank range from Hooper before Celtic stole into the lead. Despite Hibernian having a throng of defenders in position, Emilio Izaguirre’s pass seemed to glide past everyone before arriving at the feet of Stokes, who prodded the ball home from the angle past Brown.
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Hibernian found no way to escape Celtic’s clutches. A header from James Forrest, of all people, was cleared off the line by Michael Hart, yet within seconds Hooper had put the home side two up. Scott Brown was upended by Martin Scott inside the area, and Hooper lofted his spot-kick impressively high inside Brown’s right post.
Hibernian rallied briefly before the break, when Vaz Te broke clear to force a save from Fraser Forster, but Celtic would soon go three ahead. Stokes, who enjoyed a fine night of it, slid a pass through for Hooper who, with a clear sight of Brown and his gaping goal, lashed his shot inside the goalkeeper’s left post.
Calderwood applied various personnel and tactical changes to his team, but a Liam Miller penalty after 67 minutes was all Hibernian could muster in reply.
Celtic (4-4-2): F Forster — M Wilson, C Mulgrew, G Loovens (sub: T Rogne, 46min), E Izaguirre — S Brown, J Ledley, B Kayal (sub: F Ljungberg, 82), J Forrest (sub: K Commons, 78) — G Hooper, A Stokes. Substitutes not used: L Zaluska, Ki Sung-Yueng, E Juárez, G Samaras. Booked: Wilson, Mulgrew.
Hibernian (4-4-2): M Brown — M Hart, D Stephens, P Hanlon, C Booth — D Wotherspoon, L Miller, V Palsson, M Scott (sub: L Stevenson, 72) — D Riordan (sub: A Sodje, 51), R Vaz Te (sub: M Thornhill, 73). Substitutes not used: J Divis, I Murray, C Nish, D Duffy. Booked: Palsson, Scott.
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Referee: E Norris.