Celtic come from behind to beat Hibs and move four points clear of Rangers

Celtic's Camilo Duran celebrates scoring their side's second goal of the game during the William Hill Premiership match at Easter Road. Pic: Steve Welsh/Press Association.

Celtic 2 Hibernian 1

Camilo Duran moved into double figures for the season as Celtic reasserted themselves at the top of the William Hill Premiership by coming from behind to defeat beleaguered Hibernian 2-1 at windy Easter Road.

After another Europa League setback at home to Celta Vigo on Thursday, the champions bounced back with a victory that restored their four-point cushion over Rangers at the top.

Bottom side Hibs took an early lead through Owen Elding but it was swiftly cancelled out by a Jason Kerr own goal before Duran’s 10th of the season edged the Hoops ahead just before the break.

It proved enough to secure a ninth win in 10 league games this term and ensure recently appointed Hibs boss Marink Reedijk suffered a third straight defeat since succeeding David Gray.

There were a couple of blemishes for Celtic, however, as substitute Alistair Johnston’s return from injury lasted barely 20 minutes before he had to go off, while £11million forward Kasper Hogh – restored to the starting line-up after notching in just one of his 13 previous matches for the Hoops – again drew a blank before being replaced in the 64th minute.

Hibs made two changes, with Jamie McGrath and Joe Newell in for Azeem Abdulai and Martin Boyle, who withdrew late on due to illness.

Hogh’s introduction in place of Haissem Hassan was Celtic’s only tweak to Thursday’s lineup, while key duo Johnston and Cameron Carter-Vickers were on the bench after their recent lay-offs.

Easter Road was significantly below capacity, owing to Hibs’ poor form, a ban for the hosts’ Block Seven ultras group, Celtic again being allocated only half of the South Stand even though the rest of it was was all but empty, and probably due to some being put off leaving the house amid the ongoing gusts of Storm Boelo.

But the home support were swiftly warmed as Hibs grabbed the lead in the third minute. Newell slipped a quick free-kick in behind the unprepared Celtic defence and Elding got himself clear on the left of the box before driving a low angled shot from seven yards out beyond Sam Johnstone and in at the far post.

Captain Callum McGregor helped Celtic summon a fifth-minute equaliser as he drove forward and saw a deflected shot from edge of the box tipped wide by Raphael Sallinger. After the first corner was scrambled behind by the hosts, the second – an inswinger from Benjamin Nygren – was inadvertently headed into his own net by Kerr from a couple of yards out.

Hogh then had three sights of goal from close range that could have brought an end to his barren run, with the third of those the best as he was denied by a brilliant save from Sallinger.

Moments after Thibault Klidje threatened for the hosts with a lob that drifted just over, the Hoops went ahead in the 43rd minute.

Hibs defender Marko Ivezic intercepted Nygren’s pass just outside the box, but the loose ball broke to the alert Duran, who drove forward and rasped an emphatic strike beyond Sallinger from 17 yards out.

The only notable events of the second half were Johnston’s return being cut short and Hibs sending on centre-back Grant Hanley to play up front in the 82nd minute, which – after initial bemusement from the home support – helped make them a slightly more dangerous proposition in the closing stages.