Celtic title hopes hit by Hibs draw

Celtic’s hopes of clinching a fourth successive championship are hanging by a thread after a goalless draw against Hibernian leaves them two points behind Rangers going into the final game.

The Hoops wasted a host of chances as they dominated the possession in a dramatic game, with Australian Scott McDonald missing two golden opportunities in either half.

Hibs struggled to get out their own half in the last half hour as Celtic threw everyone forward but they couldn’t find a way past the Easter Road side’s determined defence.

Following Rangers’ win over Aberdeen on Saturday it means Celtic have to beat Hearts next Sunday and hope Dundee United get something from their game with Rangers if Gordon Strachan’s side are to win a fourth Scottish Premier League title in a row.

Celtic made a lively start to the match and Georgios Samaras and Scott McDonald linked up well in their first attack but the Australian striker failed to get his shot away in the box.

John Rankin then cleared the danger from a Shunsuke Nakamura corner before Hibs captain Rob Jones headed over from former Celtic player Derek Riordan’s cross.

With ten minutes gone McDonald’s close range shot from Andreas Hinkel’s cross was deflected over and Samaras couldn’t direct his header on target from the resultant corner.

Artur Boruc made a superb reflex save when Steven Fletcher produced an acrobatic bicycle kick eight yards out from a Ross Chisholm cross after 23 minutes.

Fletcher then let fly with a fierce shot which Boruc watched fizz past the post after spinning his marker on the edge of the box.

Yves Ma-Kalambay saved well under pressure from Gary Caldwell as he tried to get on the end of a Nakamura free-kick before Dutchman Glenn Loovens headed well over at the near post from the Japanese international’s corner.

Celtic should have taken the lead when Nakamura’s free-kick from the left was knocked on by Caldwell and German international Hinkel was inches away from connecting with it at the far post.

Socceroos striker McDonald missed a golden chance to put the Hoops ahead on the stroke of half-time when he collected a long ball in the box but he dragged his angled shot past Ma-Kalambay’s post.

Celtic piled the pressure on at the beginning of the second-half with three corners in the space of four minutes.

Set-piece specialist Nakamura provided the Hibs defence with problems but twice Samaras was thwarted in his attempts to get a shot away.

McDonald was appealing for a penalty when his shot in the box appeared to hit the arm of Steven Thicot but the referee gave him the benefit of the doubt.

Riordan then had two chances to put the Easter Road side ahead but he screwed his first shot wide of Boruc’s near post before blasting over the bar with only the keeper to beat when Fletcher played him into the box after 65 minutes.

McDonald was sent through on goal in the 72nd minute but the out-rushing Ma-Kalambay produced an excellent save as the Australian attempted to lift it over him.

Substitute Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink should have done better when he sent his header from a Hinkel cross over the bar with 15 minutes remaining.

Hibs supporters had their hearts in their mouths when Ma-Kalambay dropped a cross under pressure from Vennegoor of Hesselink but the defence cleared the danger.

Naylor ended up in the back of the net as he narrowly missed an inswinging Nakamura free-kick before the Japanese international nearly clinched the winner but his fierce drive was deflected over.