Iheanacho Wins It as Celtic Level Hearts in Prem Table
Kelechi Iheanacho decided the prem table race with a 72nd-minute winner as Celtic beat Hibernian 2-1 at Easter Road. The result moved Celtic level on points with William Hill Premiership leaders Hearts and left them four points clear of third-placed Rangers.
Easter Road Turns on 10 Men
Jamie McGrath’s red card in the 20th minute left Hibernian with a long night, and Celtic needed only one sharp finish after the break to settle it. Daizen Maeda put Celtic ahead in the 41st minute, but Joe Newell levelled in first-half stoppage-time before Iheanacho settled the contest from the bench.
That red card made McGrath Hibernian’s fourth player to be sent off in just three games, a run that has made discipline part of the story as much as results. Celtic, meanwhile, kept control after the break and found the goal that Hibernian could not answer.
Maeda and Newell Trade Goals
Maeda’s first-half strike gave Celtic the lead after they had made two changes from the side that beat Falkirk 3-1 the previous weekend. Hibernian had made four changes after their 2-1 home defeat by Hearts, but Newell’s stoppage-time equaliser gave them brief relief before the second half swung back Celtic’s way.
Alistair Johnston made his first start since October after injury, while Sebastian Tounekti replaced James Forrest in Celtic’s starting side. Those changes mattered most once the game opened up, because Celtic had the deeper options and Iheanacho provided the finish that turned a tight match into a result that moved them alongside Hearts.
Celtic Match Hearts on Points
The win gave Martin O’Neill’s side a fourth consecutive league victory and kept the pressure on the top of the table. Hearts and Rangers are due to play their game in hand against each other on Monday at Tynecastle, so Celtic’s place in the race now depends on how that match reshapes the gap around them.
For Celtic, Iheanacho’s 72nd-minute strike did more than settle one game at Easter Road. It gave them a share of first place, kept Rangers at arm’s length, and left the title picture to be revised after the Tynecastle meeting.
