FanNation - The Republic of Sport

On Sunday, Celtic won again in their final home game of the season against Hibernian by a comfortable score of 2-0.

Celtic needed another win to continue their run for the SPL trophy, as Rangers won contreversially over Dundee United the day before.

Goals for Celtic came from Stephen McManus in the 36th and Scott McDonald in the 87th.

Hibernian ended the game with only nine men on the pitch, as Martin Canning and Ian McMurray were both sent off during the second half.

Hibernian looked to score first in the game, and before McManus' opener it looked as though Hibernian were the better team. However, after McManus found space in the six yard box to head in the ball from Shunsuke Nakamura's corner, Celtic began running away with the game, getting more chances and leaving Hibs bewildered by the final wistle.

McManus came back from an injury sustained in Celtic's last game with Rangers replacing Bobo Balde, and Barry Robson and Paul Hartley commanded the midfield again in favor of Massimo Donati and Scott Brown.

Gordon Strachan was pleased with Celtic's performance saying, "It was a terrific game, and it shows that at this time of year you can still play good football."

The loss knocked Hibernian out of the race for the Scottish Premier League's lone Uefa Cup spot, which Motherwell has now won.

"Hibs were after the points they needed to get to third, we were after the points to keep the league going, and so it made for a smashing game," Strachan went on to say.

Celtic remain four points over Rangers, but with two games in hand Rangers must drop points in their three remaining contests against Motherwell, St. Mirren and Aberdeen, while Celtic must grab a win in their final fixture at Dundee United's Tannendice Park in two weeks.

Celtic will have time to focus and rest for their last fixture, while Rangers are still overloaded, having to play four games by then. Rangers play in the Uefa Cup Final against Zenit St Petersburg this week and will also face off with Scottish First Division side Queen of the South in the Scottish Cup Final on May 24th.

Celtic Park celebrates as Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink, Barry Robson, Scott McDonald and other Celts chase down Stephen McManus after his header put Celtic ahead. Celtic have maintained their unbeaten streak, but with Rangers staying on top form with an overcrowded schedule they may still miss out on hardware this year.

Other News

Barry Robson was named the Scottish Premier League Player of the Month and Gordon Strachan the manager of the month for the month of April. These awards are voted on by the fans and are handed out every month of the season. Other Celts to get the award this year include Scott McDonald and Aiden McGeady. April was a crucial month for Celtic as it saw them draw in on Rangers seven point lead to a point where they at one point led by seven. Robson's play and Strachan's leadership have played big roles in Celtic's push for the title.

Celtic's reserve team captured the SPL reserve title for the 7th year in a row on Monday, defeating Hibernian 4-0 at home. Goals came from Darren O'Dea, Evander Sno, Chris Killen and Ryan Conroy.

 

Barry Robson has been on peak form since joining Celtic in January and was awarded the Clydesdale Bank's Player of the Month Award for April. Strachan was awarded the Manager of the Month Award for April, as well, being the driving force that has led Celtic to close the gap on their cross-town opponent, Glasgow Rangers.