4 In A Row Here We Go. Well not quite but after a season of the most pitiful results and performances to reach April 17^th and finally win our fourth SPL game in succession tells its own story of how poor the fare had previously been this campaign under the dreadful leadership, if you can call it that, of Mowbray and his management team.

No matter time stands still for no one and with only four more games to win while watching the Huns totally capitulate will it make it the sweetest of league victories ever….by fcuk this Beer is going down well this evening.

And onto the match, it was one of those bloody early kick offs I hate and at ten past twelve there looked no more than 10-15,000 in the stadium. I took my position in the lower Lisbon Lions as my matchday seat merry-go-round continued full steam ahead following my decision last summer not to renew my own and my sons season tickets after thirteen years of loyally (am I allowed to say that?) having one. It’s been an interesting experience sitting in different areas of the ground but one true constant never seems to leave me. No matter where I sit and how few are there you can trust on me having the biggest moaning faced whingebag sitting a couple of rows behind as he tells the world – or those without headphones on – how much the World owes him a living as all 300 lbs of him slouches back in his seat and half of the persons sitting next to him.

It really is uncanny how they follow me about from seat to seat telling Lennon, Mowbray, Lawwell, Desmond and even the wee ball boy to the side of the goals how much they owe him not only this season but from 1968 onwards when Stein got on yir mans nerves for losing in the first round of the European Cup.

There is a plus side though. No matter how dark and distant things at Celtic become….and this season is really giving things a go…..I’ll always be happy I’m not one of those bams whose arteries must be closing to packing it in after five Celtic Park Scotch pies each half. Ah, now I really know why they hate everything to do with the club, I mean, have you tasted those awful things?

The game started at a good pace with both teams pushing forward in numbers at every opportunity and Celtic were first to put down a marker in only the 4^th minute through that man Keane.

McGeady did extremely well driving down the line and his cross was cleverly stepped over by Fortune leaving Keane the simplest of tasks (for him) to sidefoot into the net.

Here we go or so we thought but nope the lead lasted all of 100 seconds before a good run by Stokes put the ball into Riordan’s path and he absolutely rifled a peach past Boruc just inside the far post.

The first half continued apace end to end and Nish squandered a great chance to put Hibs ahead when Stokes put the ball on a plate for him six yards out. After that it was virtually one way traffic to half time as Celtic played arguably their best football in quite some time.

McGinn was put clean through following a lovely pass from Keane and his goalbound effort was well saved by visiting keeper Stack. The pressure mounted with first an N’Guemo deflected effort landed in the keepers hands as he lay on the ground and then Keano displayed a bunch of close control tricks but hit his shot over the bar. McGeady continued to look Celtic’s best threat going forward and he did tremendously well before flighting the ball onto Fortune’s forehead but from six yards out his effort sailed over the bar. Fortune almost made amends soon after when he received the ball to his feet inside the Hibs penalty area. He dipped his shoulder to the left before turning inside to his left foot but his curled effort was just a couple of yards over the top.

Hibs almost took the lead against the run of play when poor defending from O’Dea allowed Stokes in but Boruc did well to palm his goalbound effort wide of goal.

Celtic and that man McGeady continued to press and once more following his skinning of full-back McCormack, and a supporting Hibs cast, his cut back was agonisingly inches away from the onrushing Brown a couple of yards from the Hibs goal.

That was just about that for an entertaining first half of football with Celtic feeling aggrieved not to go in at half time at least one goal ahead.

Celtic had an early opportunity in the second forty-five. Keane did well to send Fortune clear and with only the keeper to beat he really should have shot with his left foot. Instead his chance appeared to have gone but he did well to create space with two players on him and was unlucky to see his effort strike the post.

The visitors kept some nice possession throughout as you’d expect from a John ‘Yogi’ Hughes team and from a move starting from defence they were to take the lead but it has to be said in the absolute softest of circumstances. Following some nice play a cross was sent into the Celtic penalty area. The ball deflected and landed just ahead of Thompson. The ball bounced up and both Thompson and Stokes went for the ball with the Hibs player landing on his backside. It looked no more than two players genuinely playing the ball and there was a look of bemusement (and anger) in the stadium when a penalty kick was awarded. I’ve only see the incident once live at the match but from that viewing it looked as soft a penalty as imaginable.

Stokes stepped up and had just enough accuracy to beat Boruc at his right hand post. 2-1 to Hibs.

With a punishing defeat against Ross County (a team who knocked Hibs out of the Scottish Cup) only seven days earlier how would the hosts respond?

Thankfully very well.

Celtic Park for me is at its best when there’s a feeling of injustice from the support and this was borne on three fronts. 1) The aforementioned penalty award that on one showing looked dubious to say the least 2) the time-wasting keeper Stack had been doing throughout the second half and even after numerous warnings from referee Finnie still no yellow card produced and 3) on three separate occasions starting in the first half Hibs players booted the ball away following infringements to stop Celtic starting play quickly and on each occasion not one yellow card was shown. It’s refereeing inconsistencies from Stephen Finnie….he can’t be can he?....like this that really get on your nerves but thankfully those feelings of injustice produced a positive as the home support within the half-filled stadium displayed the type of fervent backing 60,000 would struggle to produce at many, many a game.

With the fans now in full voice Lennon made a substitution that would change the game in Celtic’s favour. McGinn did ok but was tiring following a long lay off so he was replaced by Rasmussen with Fortune moving wide on the right.

The impact was almost immediate with Fortune and Keane linking up before Rasmussen fired just wide of the post.

Fortune, looking far better on the right, then did well to cut the ball back to Keane but his first time effort went agonisingly wide. The pressure was now well and truly ramped up and Celtic equalised on the 80^th when McGeady drove into the Hibs area before cutting back to Keane. His effort was saved by Stack but there was Fortune with an empty net in front of him to place ball into and make the match all square.

Could Celtic get the winner?

With the score at 2-2 and Celtic pummelling the Hibs defence the visitors gained possession but really should have lost the ball when N’Guemo went in as half-hearted as a nine year old schoolgirl playing football for the first time. Celtic won possession back in our penalty area but this didn’t stop Brown tearing strips off his team-mate. Brown’s not had the best of seasons either but I was glad to see a Celtic player telling another that his feeble attempt at a tackle was unacceptable especially with the Bhoys chasing victory.

The Celts continued to press with Rasmussen and Keane continuing to link well and from their efforts a Keane lay off saw the big Dane’s effort go just wide of the post but big Greenock wasn’t to be denied……

With three minutes to go of normal time Fortune received the ball wide on the right. He took a few touches before finding a half yard of pace and crossed the ball low into the six yard box. Rasmussen did what all good strikers do and made a run into this area and got the slightest of touches ahead of keeper Stack to put the Celtic 3-2 ahead to send the crowd, team and coaching staff into raptures as he ran half the length of the pitch to celebrate with team-mates and interim manager Lennon.

The team showed good tactical awareness to see out the clock in the Hibernian half of the pitch to earn Celtic’s fourth successive victory in the SPL for the first time this season.

Best players on the day were Brown, McGeady, Keane, Fortune and Rasmussen.

Finally and as an aside a big well done to the Green Brigade who once more were absolutely immense today. I’d been talking to one of the Bhoys involved earlier in the week and took my oldest along to be part of their non-stop support. He was welcomed by all and had in his words one of his best days supporting Celtic as a 14 year old which is not bad considering (again in his words) he almost broke his arm when he landed three rows down when Rasmussen’s winner hit the net….we all know what he means. For older farts like me who remember the Jungle (good and bad) it’s a bit sad when the support, especially the younger element, have had nothing to compare to that in their time supporting Celtic…..up until now.

The people behind the Green Brigade are a true credit to the Celtic spirit and should be welcomed in open arms by the club as they try to galvanise the ‘support’ into being a support. As the best Celt in our history once said “without the support Celtic is nothing” and it would be ideal if the Green Brigade and other small pockets of supporters groups dotted around the stadium were given an opportunity to spread their wings and add more and more numbers to a brilliant cause within the stadium.

Here’s a wee idea if any of the board are listening….and we know you monitor websites constantly….why not offer these Bhoys 500-1000 seats directly behind the goal in the Jock Stein stand? Let them show their colour and visual impact around the globe to all Celtic supporters far and wide and let them know the Celtic fire still burns brightly within the current generation of Celtic supporters. Also, can you imagine the visiting keepers reaction as he moves towards that goal with the young team all going mental……it would be fair to say quite a few keepers would be shiteing themselves.

Keep up the great work Bhoys…….you are a credit to the club.