Cork youngster makes Livingston debut as Neil Lennon and Celtic drop points again

Celtic manager Neil Lennon during the Scottish Premiership match at the Toni Macaroni Arena, Livingston. Picture: Andrew Milligan

Scottish Premiership: Livingston 2 Celtic 2

There was a Livingston debut for young Corkman Jaze Kabia in the second half, the former Cobh Ramblers and Shelbourne man having signed for Livi earlier this month. 

It came as Neil Lennon’s angry rebuke of Celtic’s Dubai critics failed to provoke a response from his players as they were held to another damaging 2-2 draw by a second-string Livingston outfit.

If the rant was designed to show his players he was still up for the fight of salvaging their 10-in-a-row dreams, it did not work.

Celtic did battle back from Ciaron Brown’s opener with goals from Mohammed Elyounoussi and Nir Bitton.

But they for the fourth time in 2021 already, they failed to get the job done.

Jay Emmanuel-Thomas levelled for David Martindale’s impressive Lions – who remain unbeaten in his 10-game tenure – while Celtic finished the game clinging on for a draw after seeing captain Scott Brown sent off just five minutes after being introduced from the bench.

Celtic find themselves 20 points behind runaway leaders Rangers with two games in hand and their title hopes now surely dead.

Livingston:  McCrorie, Fitzwater, Guthrie, Brown, McMillan (Robinson 75), Lawson, Pitman, Serrano, Emmanuel-Thomas (Devlin 67), Forrest (Kabia 58), Hamilton (Reilly 58). 

Celtic: Barkas, Ajer (Frimpong 78), Bitton, Duffy, Taylor, Christie, Soro (Brown 78), McGregor, Turnbull (Johnston 82), Griffiths (Klimala 70), Elyounoussi. 

Referee: William Collum