Scottish Premiership
HibernianHibernian0CelticCeltic0

Hibernian 0-0 Celtic: League leaders held to goalless draw

By Colin MoffatBBC Scotland

Celtic's Scottish Premiership lead stands at nine points as Hibernian held them to a goalless draw at Easter Road.

With four games remaining, Neil Lennon's side require four points to wrap up the title.

Hibs opened menacingly, creating a flurry of chances inside 15 minutes.

Home goalkeeper Ofir Marciano made two stoppage-time saves to deny Odsonne Edouard and Jozo Simunovic while Scott Bain did well to block an Oli Shaw shot inside the six-yard box.

Celtic are unbeaten in 14 league games but this was the third stalemate of Lennon's nine-match tenure in all competitions.

The hosts are yet to taste defeat in nine Premiership outings under Paul Heckingbottom and are five points behind fourth-placed Kilmarnock.

Celtic slow to get going as Marciano shines

Daryl Horgan was the Hibs hero in the Edinburgh derby, scoring both goals at Tynecastle, and the Irish winger was brimming with confidence in the opening stages.

His early shot was spilled by Bain before a fizzing cross was just inches away from a lunging Stephane Omeonga in front of goal. Omeonga then powered in a shot from distance that Bain needed to tip round the post.

A fine start from Hibs continued with Marc McNulty nodding into the path of Paul Hanlon, who controlled on his chest before firing a rising shot just over.

Celtic struggled to find any passing fluency but gradually began to see more of the ball and it took a fabulous, leaping save from Marciano to keep out a curling shot from Olivier Ntcham.

A sluggish second half was brightened up by another good stop from Marciano, who was at full stretch to keep out a free-kick from Edouard.

Soon after, the Celtic striker could only knock the ball over the top from close range, perhaps surprised when Darren McGregor failed to cut out a low cross from James Forrest. Tom Rogic then drilled a shot narrowly wide from 20 yards.

Cutting in from the left, Hibs substitute Shaw was set up with a great shooting chance but inexplicably elected to cut inside before surrendering possession, symptomatic of a match full of poor decision-making in the final third.

It looked like Shaw would make amends on 87 minutes but his stabbed effort inside the six-yard box was kept out by the leg of an advancing Bain.

The visitors pressed in the five minutes added to regulation time, with the impressive Marciano throwing up a hand to divert a strike from Edouard, then ensuring the points would be shared by pushing away a Simunovic header.

Heavyweights fail to find killer punch - analysis

BBC Scotland's Brian McLauchlin at Easter Road

This game could have been portrayed as a boxing match with two heavyweights slugging it out with neither able to find a killer punch.

Hibernian and Celtic went into the game in fine form but on this occasion neither were able to find the route to goal.

Perhaps that was down to arguably the best two goalkeepers in the league in Ofir Marciano and Scott Bain.

The Hibs man in particular was outstanding and pulled off some wonder stops that otherwise would have give the advantage to the visitors.

Heckingbottom has made a huge impact on the players he inherited from Lennon before he left the club. This summer will be key though as we establish the new manager's credentials in player recruitment.

Brendan Rodgers and Lennon have the same philosophy in winning games but have different ideas on how to achieve success.

Winning the league sooner rather than later for Celtic and Lennon now becomes paramount before attention will undoubtedly turn to the cup final against Hearts where the treble treble will be on the line.

Line-ups

Hibernian

Formation 4-1-3-2

  • 1Marciano
  • 2Gray
  • 24McGregor
  • 4HanlonBooked at 64mins
  • 16StevensonBooked at 90mins
  • 5MilliganSubstituted forSlivkaat 70'minutes
  • 7HorganSubstituted forAgyepongat 83'minutes
  • 14MallanBooked at 56mins
  • 40OmeongaBooked at 63mins
  • 9McNulty
  • 22KamberiBooked at 43minsSubstituted forShawat 71'minutes

Substitutes

  • 6Bartley
  • 8Slivka
  • 13Gauld
  • 17Agyepong
  • 26Spector
  • 31Bogdan
  • 32Shaw

Celtic

Formation 4-2-3-1

  • 29Bain
  • 23Lustig
  • 5Simunovic
  • 35Ajer
  • 3Izaguirre
  • 8Brown
  • 21NtchamSubstituted forRogicat 62'minutes
  • 49ForrestSubstituted forWeahat 85'minutes
  • 42McGregor
  • 15HayesSubstituted forSinclairat 71'minutes
  • 22Edouard

Substitutes

  • 2Toljan
  • 11Sinclair
  • 18Rogic
  • 24de Vries
  • 25Burke
  • 30Weah
  • 32Benkovic
Referee:
Nick Walsh
Attendance:
19,472

Match Stats

Home TeamHibernianAway TeamCeltic
Possession
Home49%
Away51%
Shots
Home13
Away20
Shots on Target
Home3
Away6
Corners
Home4
Away9
Fouls
Home11
Away3

Live Text

  1. Post update

    Match ends, Hibernian 0, Celtic 0.

  2. Full Time

    Second Half ends, Hibernian 0, Celtic 0.

  3. Post update

    Foul by Scott Brown (Celtic).

  4. Post update

    Stephane Omeonga (Hibernian) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

  5. Post update

    Corner, Celtic. Conceded by David Gray.

  6. Post update

    Corner, Celtic. Conceded by Ofir Marciano.

  7. Post update

    Attempt saved. Jozo Simunovic (Celtic) header from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom left corner.

  8. Post update

    Corner, Celtic. Conceded by Ofir Marciano.

  9. Post update

    Attempt saved. Odsonne Edouard (Celtic) right footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the top centre of the goal.

  10. Post update

    Attempt blocked. Tomas Rogic (Celtic) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked.

  11. Booking

    Lewis Stevenson (Hibernian) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

  12. Post update

    Callum McGregor (Celtic) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

  13. Post update

    Foul by Lewis Stevenson (Hibernian).

  14. Post update

    Delay over. They are ready to continue.

  15. Post update

    Delay in match Marc McNulty (Hibernian) because of an injury.

  16. Post update

    Attempt saved. Oli Shaw (Hibernian) right footed shot from very close range is saved in the centre of the goal.

  17. Post update

    Attempt blocked. Stephen Mallan (Hibernian) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.

  18. Substitution

    Substitution, Celtic. Timothy Weah replaces James Forrest.

  19. Post update

    Attempt missed. Marc McNulty (Hibernian) header from the centre of the box is too high.

  20. Substitution

    Substitution, Hibernian. Thomas Agyepong replaces Daryl Horgan.

Scores, Results & Fixtures

Sunday 21st April 2019

As It Stood

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Celtic34246471175478
2Rangers34209576255169
3Aberdeen34187953371661
4Kilmarnock341610846291758
5Hibernian341411949341553
6Hearts34155143944-550
7St Johnstone34145153444-1047
8Motherwell34135163848-1044
9Livingston34119143636042
10Hamilton3475222270-4826
11St Mirren3466222762-3524
12Dundee3446242570-4518
View full Scottish Premiership table

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