Celtic back on top with three

Hibernian 1 Celtic 3

Bank of Scotland Premier League champions Celtic took advantage of an unexpected Rangers slip-up to regain pole position in the title race with a comfortable win at Hibernian today.

Alex McLeish’s men missed the chance to extend their lead at the top to nine points with a shock draw against Inverness at Ibrox yesterday.

Celtic responded today by inflicting a second consecutive defeat on Tony Mowbray’s third-placed side – with goals for Stilian Petrov, John Hartson and Craig Bellamy.

Guillaume Beuzelin gave Hibernian some late consolation with an injury-time strike – but it was a case of men against boys in the capital.

The champions made a dream start when midweek hero Petrov coolly slotted home his second goal in two games, with the Hibs defence sleeping after just four minutes.

Chris Sutton found Hartson in the area, and he controlled the ball before picking out the Bulgarian at the back post.

Petrov still had some work to do but dragged the ball back on to his right foot, outwitted both Gary Caldwell and goalkeeper Simon Brown stationed on the line and then comfortably sidefooted the ball into the back of the net from just three yards out.

Hibernian failed to learn from that and were lucky not to go even further behind in the 11th minute.

Petrov’s corner fell at the feet of on-loan striker Bellamy on the edge of the box, and his first-time right-foot shot was heading for the bottom corner when Gary Smith came to Hibernian’s rescue by deflecting the ball just past the upright.

Brown found himself picking the ball out of the back of the net again in the 31st minute.

Sutton got to the byline and chipped the ball across the face of goal, and Bellamy’s flick-on fell at the feet of Hartson who got between Smith and Murphy to poke the ball in from close range for his 22nd goal of the campaign.

In the process of setting up the second goal, the Englishman seemed to pull his hamstring and was instantly replaced by Aiden McGeady.

Bobo Balde was guilty of poor defending himself in the 36th minute to gift Hibernian a glorious chance to reduce the deficit.

His back-pass was loose, and Derek Riordan ran on to it. But Robert Douglas raced to the edge of his penalty area to save the defensive giant by getting an arm on the strike and diverting the ball off target. Stanislav Varga then did enough to make sure of keeping the ball out.

Referee Kenny Clark harshly booked Neil Lennon and Caldwell, before Bellamy fired over from the edge of the box.

Mowbray made a change at the break by bringing on the creative Beuzelin – who had missed the last five games with an ankle injury – for Alen Orman.

Celtic looked certain to increase their advantage after the break and would have done in the 53rd minute but for the timely intervention of Smith, who got back to his six-yard box to clear livewire Bellamy’s cross – with Hartson waiting to pounce behind him.

Dean Shiels came to Hibernian’s aid in the 58th minute.

Hartson shook off the challenge of Caldwell in the area and placed the ball past Brown – but the defender raced back to clear the danger.

Bellamy looked hungry for his second Celtic goal since his switch from Newcastle – and in the 63rd minute he went close when he pulled his right-foot shot just wide of the target from the edge of the box.

Six minutes later, though, the Wales forward got himself on the scoresheet for the first time in the Scottish league.

There was a hint of offside as Bellamy got ahead of Steven Whittaker to race on to Alan Thompson’s through ball, and he shrugged off the challenge of the Hibs man before firing low under the body of Brown from just inside the penalty box.

The Hibernian defence were again looking at each other quizzically in the 79th minute when Balde was allowed to head Thompson’s corner over from six yards.

Ian Murray lost his cool and was booked for a rash challenge on Bellamy moments later.

The Hibernian fans disgraced themselves late on by pelting former player Ulrik Laursen with objects.

Referee Clark called for more security before he booked substitute Amadou Konte for diving and Balde for a foul.

Beuzelin gave the home fans something to celebrate in the final minute when he converted Konte’s cross at the back post.

Caldwell and Bellamy had to be pulled apart as tempers frayed at the final whistle.