Celtic 1-2 Hibernian: There’s no escaping it now… Martin O’Neill will struggle to turn his plodding players into champions

Harry Houdini would have approved of the acts of escapology Celtic have pulled off these past few weeks. A late Scottish Cup equaliser against Dundee. A stoppage-time winner against Livingston. A last-gasp effort at Rugby Park.

In any other season, you would tip your hat to such heroic acts. The sign of champions and all that. Not this year. This is a poor side who have been riding their luck, not a good one digging deep.

The chickens came home to roost here. When Kai Andrews lashed the ball into Celtic’s net with three minutes remaining to re-establish Hibernian’s lead, it felt like a defining moment in a gripping title race.

In every sense, it feels like this season is now disintegrating in front of Celtic’s eyes.

On the park, it doesn’t look like even the legendary Martin O’Neill has the sorcery to turn a plodding team into champions. Off the park, the brickbats are raining down on the board.

It was a hugely frustrating day for O’Neill and his players, one which they will feel aggrieved about for a while to come.

Andrews enjoys the celebrations after helping Hibs to their first win at Celtic Park in 16 years

Celtic boss Martin O’Neill watches a defeat that leaves his team six points behind Hearts

Trailing to Felix Passlack’s bullet header, they levelled through Benjamin Nygren just before half time and began the second half with renewed vigour.

Auston Trusty’s dismissal for striking out at Jamie McGrath as Celtic prepared to take a corner proved to be the turning point of the day.

The American defender will claim there wasn’t a great deal in the tussle, but he was unwise to get involved. He is now suspended for the trip to Ibrox next Sunday.

Celtic will feel they ought to have had a penalty moments later when Liam Scales went down in the box with Jack Iredale grabbing his shirt. The Hibs defender could certainly consider himself fortunate.

The fury of the Parkhead men won’t change the fact that a first domestic loss for O’Neill this season sees them drop six points behind leaders Hearts and two off Rangers, albeit with a game in hand over both. With 11 matches remaining, the margin for error is slight.

What a day this was for the Easter Road men, and for Andrews, in particular. The midfielder hadn’t scored a single professional goal when he arrived on loan from Coventry in January.

This was an opportune time to put that right. A first win at Parkhead in 16 years for the Leith men means they are now five points behind Motherwell, having played a game more. So much for their season petering out.

A famously loyal manager, there was never any chance of O’Neill relegating Kasper Schmeichel to the bench after a couple of howlers against Stuttgart had seen the Dane become a target of the boo boys.

After a full week’s uninterrupted training, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s inclusion from the start for the first time felt inveitable, with Hyun-jun Yang also drafted in to give Daizen Maeda a rest.

Schmeichel would have been desperate for an early assured touch. Instead, a poor pass only found Owen Elding. The keeper was relieved that Martin Boyle was a yard away from connecting with the teenage forward’s delivery.

It was clear from the outset that Hibs were in town to have a go. They would have hit the front earlier than they did had Julian Araujo not blocked Nicky Cadden’s net-bound strike.

David Gray’s men built patiently from the back, secured the ball in midfield, and posed questions. Celtic’s hopes of striking early weren’t helped by a lack of movement up front.

Nygren saw one strike deflected just wide, but those kind of opportunities were few and far between.

With Yang toiling to make much headway down the right, Seb Tounekti found Passlack to be a tough opponent on the other side.

Hibs hung in there and awaited their moment. It arrived in the 24th minute.

With Celtic struggling to clear their lines, Cadden found space on the left. His delivery was typically precise. Passlack threw himself full length at the ball and made the perfect connection. With Schmeichel’s defenders flat-footed, no fingers could be pointed at the veteran on this occasion.

Celtic would be indebted to the Dane for ensuring the deficit remained at a single goal after Scales got under a ball over the top. Boyle composed himself and shot, only for Schmeichel to make himself big and block.

The sense of frustration among home fans grew when Tounekti passed up an opportunity to shoot. Nygren was never ready for his pass.

Yang dropped a shoulder and picked out Oxlade-Chamberlain. Slightly off balance, the midfielder lashed his shot over the top.

Kieran Tierney’s deep delivery presented Yang with the chance to become a hero. His header floated away from goal.

As the interval neared, Celtic improved. Tierney’s cross found Tomas Cvancara. The Czech’s glancing header dropped just wide.

Seconds later, Cvancara fluffed his lines horribly after Yang had spun and fed him with a low cross.

On the cusp of half-time, Celtic did level. Tierney had become more of a threat as the game went on. His cross from the left had pace and direction. Nygren wanted it more than the visiting defenders and a diving header brought up his 18th goal of the season.

Oxlade-Chamberlain had sat deep in the first period. He was pushed further up once hostilities resumed. This almost brought instant dividends when he found Nygren with a gem of a ball. Raphael Sallinger fumbled the Swede’s effort away.

Just outside the box, Cadden’s foul on Yang brought up the game’s first booking. Nygren’s vicious strike was deflected wide, but the atmosphere inside the ground had lifted.

Despite being off form, Reo Hatate was thrown on once Oxlade-Chamberlain could give no more. Maeda joined him as he replaced the ineffective Cvancara.

Yang thought he had scored the second. A deflection left him with his head buried in his hands.

Celtic’s task became then significantly more difficult. Trying to shake off McGrath as he prepared to attack a corner, Trusty’s swinging arm was ill-advised. He was walking the minute referee Matthew MacDermid was called to his monitor by VAR Grant Irvine.

Seconds later, Celtic were screaming for a decision to go their way when Iredale dragged Scales to the deck. Nothing was given.

With the game stretched, James Forrest, another sub, bobbed and weaved. He couldn’t keep his strike down though.

Hibs had weathered the storm and came again. With three minutes of the 90 remaining, they re-established their lead.

Ante Suto did brilliantly to hold the ball up and lay it into the path of his fellow substitute Andrews. A clinical strike from the edge of the box from the teenager left Schmeichel without a prayer.

It got desperate thereafter for the home side. In the closing seconds of stoppage time, Schmeichel went up for a corner. Even in a season brimming with remarkable stories, a late equaliser from the keeper was too much to ask for.