Match report as James Forrest scores three times in Celtic's 6-1 thrashing of Hibernian at Celtic Park; Giorgos Giakoumakis nets double and substitute Daizen Maeda adds late sixth; Elie Youan scores Hibs' only goal
Saturday 22 October 2022 11:22, UK
James Forrest's hat-trick took him to 100 goals in a Celtic shirt as the league leaders recovered from their Champions League woes by beating Hibs 6-1 at Celtic Park.
Forrest fired the hosts, coming into the game on the brink of Champions League elimination, into a ninth-minute lead by converting Sead Haksabanovic's inviting cross from close range.
Celtic spent the opening period overloading the Hibernian right and all three first-half goals were made on that flank, with their second buried by Giorgos Giakoumakis from Alexandro Bernabei's low ball, before a David Marshall howler made it three when he dropped Forrest's tame effort over his own goal-line.
A quartet of half-time substitutes from Lee Johnson briefly triggered a glimmer of hope for Hibs, who pulled one back 11 minutes into the second period when Martin Boyle fed Elie Youan to beat Joe Hart at his near post. But within two minutes, Forrest had his hat-trick and his 100th Celtic goal, firing into the top corner via a big deflection off Pat Hanlon.
Giakoumakis made it five as Hibs' haphazard defending continued, with another unfortunate deflection beating Marshall, and in the final minute of normal time Daizen Maeda added a sixth on the slide to round off a glorious afternoon's work for Celtic - and deliver a real real lesson to Lee Johnson and Hibs.
The typical early Parkhead onslaught brought rewards in the eighth minute when Haksabanovic's cross from the left was met by Forrest and he knocked a volley back across former Celtic keeper Marshall and in at the far post.
The Edinburgh side, with Harry McKirdy making his first start and veteran defender Lewis Stevenson back in the side, tried to respond but Celtic were in rampant mood and went further ahead in the 18th minute when Bernabei's cross from the left was buried from 10 yards by Giakoumakis.
The third goal followed six minute later when Haksabanovic's cut-back from the left ended up at the feet of Forrest, who took a touch and fired in a shot which Marshall saved, only to let it fumble out of his grasp and over the line.
Lee Johnson, unimpressed by his side's performance, made four interval changes with Rocky Bushiri, Marijan Cabraja, Kyle Magennis and Youan on for Chris Cadden, Stevenson, McKirdy and Mykola Kuharevich.
However, seconds after Bushiri had blocked a goal-bound shot from Forrest, Hibs raced up the park with Boyle playing in Youan to beat Hart at his near post with a powerful drive.
But any notions of a comeback were soon dispelled when Mooy took advantage of a Nohan Kenneh mistake in midfield to play in Forrest whose deflected strike from 16 yards sped high past Marshall.
Hibs came near on a couple of occasions - Boyle's shot which went just past the post was especially close - before Abada's cut-back found Giakoumakis who drove in off the post.
Substitute Kyogo Furuhashi, on for Hatate, rattled the Hibs post with a drive from just inside the box, and Marshall saved a one-on-one against Abada, before Maeda converted a Mooy cross for nimber six in the 89th minute, to seal a comprehensive win.
Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou told Sky Sports: "We really wanted to put on a performance today, because the result in midweek was disappointing. There's been plenty to be positive about in terms of our football, but when you don't win and the scrutiny you get from the outside, it's important to react from that. Credit to the players, they turned it on today.
"James joins an elite club, getting 100 goals for any club and for this club in particular, is an outstanding achievement. Credit to him, he hasn't played a lot in this period but he's constantly training and preparing himself in the right manner and got his rewards today."
Hibernian manager Lee Johnson told Sky Sports: "It's very disappointing. It was a difficult day for us and it shows me there's a lot to do at this club in terms of changing the mentality. We put a team out and worked to press and get up to the ball, and for whatever reason there was too much fear.
"It was disappointing watching it, it felt like a boxer not throwing a punch because they're worried about a counter-punch. Look at the first two goals, we don't stop the crosses at all, and we allow too much time and space for their wide and forward players to get crosses and shots off, and that was gut-wrenching for me. I won't stand for that.
"Moving forward those players, if they can't change, will move on, if they can change then fantastic. We have to be better than that, and we have to be very brave coming to a place like this. I'm sat on the side so frustrated and often embarrassed by what I saw - when you look at the standard of goals we've conceded, you might not even see that in Sunday league."
Celtic have a Premier Sports Cup match away to Motherwell on Wednesday night before returning to Scottish Premiership action at Hearts on 22 October, live on Sky Sports.
Hibernian's next match is at home to St Johnstone on 21 October; kick-off 7.30pm.
