SCOTTISH PREMIER LEAGUE: Hibernian 0 Celtic 0: "CHIP HIM, chip him," muttered Gordon Strachan as he walked past the television in the Easter Road media room.
A replay of Scott McDonald’s 72nd-minute attempt at goal, blocked by the Hibernian goalkeeper Yves Ma-Kalambay, had prompted the Celtic manager’s rueful comment.
Publicly, and correctly, Strachan had earlier praised his players on account of their efforts, which gave them territorial dominance over Hibs.
He is painfully aware, though, that a failure to convert such play into any form of tangible reward may lead to the Premier League trophy returning to Ibrox for the first time since 2005. Rangers are now in a position they have dreamed about for four years and one which seemed fanciful even four months ago.
The arithmetic is simple: victory for Walter Smith’s men over Dundee United on Sunday means Rangers will be champions. After the latest drama-fuelled weekend Celtic trail their oldest rivals by two points with one game to play.
A draw for Rangers at Tannadice will not be enough if Celtic, holding the superior goal difference, simultaneously beat a Hearts team who have nothing left to play for. That this is now Rangers’ title to lose owes everything to a lack of invention and killer execution on the part of Strachan’s team. Several of the visiting players sat motionless on the turf at full-time in Edinburgh, unquestionably the combination of their energy-sapping work and the harsh realisation that title momentum now lies elsewhere. Physically and mentally, Celtic resembled a broken team.
“I said to the players in the dressingroom that I could not have asked any more from them,” said Strachan. “All we are missing is goals.” McDonald was the main offender with regards profligacy although clear-cut chances were at a premium. Celtic registered two shots on target and their own goalkeeper, Artur Boruc, made a single save during the 90 minutes.
“We were playing against a team which sits in, frustrates and doesn’t want to play the game,” said the Celtic defender Gary Caldwell. “It is not entertaining for the fans.” That, in truth, is the epitome of a disingenuous argument. The Hibs support seemed perfectly enamoured with their side’s efforts; it was hardly the hosts’ role to lie down and let Celtic trample them.
Hibs’ defence, in which their much courted captain Rob Jones was outstanding, are due credit for keeping Celtic at bay.
Caldwell headed the visitors’ finest opportunity of the opening half wide from all of four yards before McDonald miscued a shot when sent clean through on Ma-Kalambay.
As desperation set in among Celtic’s players and, visibly, their supporters, the creative talents of Aiden McGeady and Shunsuke Nakamura were not as prominent as Strachan needed. “We just have to win next week and keep our fingers crossed,” said Strachan. “It is not the situation we want to be in but we have put ourselves in it, so we have to deal with it ourselves.”
Guardian Service
HIBERNIAN: Ma-Kalambay, van Zanten, Thicot, Jones, Murray, Rankin, Bamba (Hanlon 89), Chisholm, Stevenson, Riordan (O'Brien 90), Fletcher. Subs not used:McNeil, Keenan, McCormack, Cropley, Johansson. Booked: Murray, Rankin, Ma-Kalambay, Bamba, Riordan.
CELTIC:Boruc, Hinkel, Caldwell, Loovens, Naylor, Nakamura, Scott Brown (Maloney 68), Hartley, McGeady, Samaras (Vennegoor of Hesselink 62), McDonald. Subs not used:Mark Brown, O'Dea, Crosas, Flood, Misun.
Booked: Scott Brown.
Referee:I Brines (Scotland).
