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Celtic three points clear after Hibs victory

SoccerNews in Scottish Premier League 25 Oct 2008

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Celtic remained three points clear at the top of the Scottish Premier League after two late goals secured a 4-2 victory against Hibs.

Earlier in the day Rangers, who have played a game less, drew level on points with their Old Firm rivals after a Kris Boyd double and a Nacho Novo goal secured all three points in a 3-1 win over Hamilton.

At Celtic Park the home side raced into a two-goal lead with a goal from Stephen McManus and a strike from Cillian Sheridan on his first start for the club.

Colin Nish pulled one back for Hibs in the first-half before Stephen Fletcher equalised but late goals from Glenn Loovens and Scott Brown made sure of the points for Celtic.

The opening period of the first-half was a fairly even affair with the action switching from end to end.

Derek Riordan, eager to impress on his return to Celtic Park, came close to opening the scoring in the 22nd minute when Artur Boruc did well to turn his low drive from the edge of the box round the post.

The longer the match went on the more Celtic began to dominate possession and the home side took the lead through McManus after 31 minutes.

Shunsuke Nakamura's low corner was missed by John Rankin who took a swing at it and the Celtic captain was there to knock the ball home.

Celtic doubled their lead four minutes later when Sheridan scored. A neat back-heel from Scott McDonald sent the Irishman clear and he slotted home after rounding Yves Ma-Kalambay.

Hibs pulled one back five minutes before the break through Nish. The striker deflected Fletcher's stinging shot from the right wing into the net to bamboozle Boruc.

Celtic could have increased their lead just a minute into the second-half when McDonald's first time hit from an Andreas Hinkel cross just went wide of the post.

But it was Hibs who equalised through a well worked goal by Fletcher after 49 minutes.

Barry Robson, again asked to fill in at left-back, was beaten for pace by Ian Murray and his pass across the box was met by Fletcher who slammed the ball past the helpless Boruc.

Hibs keeper Ma-Kalambay, who has made some high profile blunders in the past, had to be at his best to keep Celtic at bay. Firstly he did well to turn a fierce shot from the edge of the box by Hinkel round his post after 53 minutes.

Then the big keeper superbly saved a McDonald shot in the 61st minute after the Australian striker had twisted and turned in the box.

Celtic took the lead in the 76th minute when substitute Loovens out-jumped the Hibs defence to power home a header.

Maloney's corner found the Dutch defender, on for the injured McManus at half-time, who knocked the ball off the post and into the net past Souleymane Bamba on the line.

Brown made sure of the points with nine minutes remaining. The midfielder scored for the second game in a row when his left-foot drive from 15 yards beat Ma-Kalambay at his near post.

At New Douglas Park a Kris Boyd double helped Rangers to a 3-1 defeat of Hamilton. The Accies had taken the lead through Easton before Boyd equalised from the penalty spot.

The striker then headed Rangers into a second-half lead before substitute Nacho Novo completed the scoring. First-half strikes from Darren Mackie and Lee Wallace meant the points were shared at Tynecastle between Hearts and Aberdeen.

Goals from Steve Lovell and Scott Arfield secured a 2-1 win for Falkirk over third-placed Kilmarnock.

Motherwell won 2-1 away to Inverness Caledonian Thistle with goals from Chris Porter and Bob Malcolm after Adam Rooney had given the home side the lead. Late goals from Roy O'Donovan and Craig Conway gave Dundee United a 2-0 win over St Mirren at Tannadice.

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