Celtic twice squander lead in Hibs draw

Hibernian twice came from behind as Scottish Premier League champions Celtic were left to rue their wastefulness in front of goal as they were held to a 2-2 draw at Celtic Park on Saturday.

A strike from Swedish international Mikael Lustig and an own-goal from James McPake had Celtic ahead on two separate occasions, but Hibs hit back each time through Tim Clancy and then Paul Cairney.

The result leaves Celtic, who were showing signs of a European hangover following their midweek Champions League exploits, top of the SPL on goal difference from Hibs, albeit with a game in hand.

"Bar the two goals I was pretty pleased with the performance and we murdered them in the first half," Celtic manager Neil Lennon said.

"If you miss easy chances and give away goals of the nature we did you are always going to be fighting to win the game but I think we can count ourselves very unlucky not to win the game today."

Meanwhile, Hibs manager Pat Fenlon was pleased with his side's battling spirit.

"I thought in the second half we played really well and when it is only 1-0 you always have a chance," he said.

"It is a different type of character in the dressing room now and they want to fight and scrap for each other."

After beating Helsingborgs 2-0 on Wednesday to return to the Champions League group stages for the first time in four years, Celtic took just over nine minutes to take the lead in Glasgow's East End.

Paddy McCourt's corner was met by the unmarked Lustig who fired a volley low past Williams into the bottom corner of the net.

And Celtic went close to doubling their advantage 10 minutes later when Gary Hooper smashed a shot which cracked off the underside of the bar and bounced out.

It was all one-way traffic and James Forrest was the next to come close as his fierce strike from 20 yards whistled inches past the post before Tony Watt sent his chipped effort wide when one-on-one with the 'keeper.

Hooper came closer five minutes from the break when he got on the end of Adam Matthews' cross from the right and bulleted his header off the post.

The Hoops were nearly made to pay for their wastefulness in front of goal in the 47th minute when Eoin Doyle got on the end of Leigh Griffiths' curling free-kick to flick a shot off the base of the post before the defence cleared the danger.

However, Hibs were soon on level terms when a defensive clanger handed the Easter Road side a 53rd-minute equaliser.

In a moment of madness, both Lustig and Fraser Forster failed to deal with a chipped ball forward, allowing Clancy to nick the ball around the 'keeper and roll it into the empty net.

Lustig atoned for his part in Hibernian's equaliser when he helped put the Hoops in front again in the 69th minute thanks to a mistake from Ben Williams.

The Hibs 'keeper failed to hold Filip Twardzik's free-kick and spilled the ball into the path of Lustig who netted in off Hibs captain McPake.

However, the Edinburgh side were back on level terms just four minutes later thanks to a fine solo goal from Cairney.

The Celtic defence switched off and allowed the Hibs midfielder space to run into the box and send a shot under the body of Forster into the bottom corner of the net.

Twardzik missed a golden chance to win it for Celtic when he blazed a shot over the bar from eight yards before Williams made a fingertip save to deny substitute Kris Commons with four minutes remaining.

Elsewhere, Aberdeen against St Mirren, Ross County versus Kilmarnock and the Tayside derby between St Johnstone and Dundee United all finished goalless.

There are two games on Sunday, with Hearts entertaining bottom side Dundee and Motherwell taking on Inverness Caledonian Thistle.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/celtic-twice-squander-lead-hibs-draw-164550051--sow.html

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