Celtic Vs Hibernian: Kai Andrews late strike hands Hibs landmark Parkhead win and stirs title race
The headline fixture Celtic Vs Hibernian ended with a dramatic 2-1 victory for the visitors as Kai Andrews struck in the 87th minute to secure Hibernian's first win at Celtic Park in years. The result, coupled with late drama elsewhere, has left the Scottish Premiership title race in fresh turmoil and produced a clutch of contrasting narratives about standings and momentum.
Celtic Vs Hibernian: match report and key moments
Hibernian took the lead through Felix Passlack after a Nicky Cadden cross was headed home, before Benjamin Nygren equalised on the stroke of half-time with a diving header from a Kieran Tierney cross. The match swung decisively after a red card reduced Celtic to 10 men; one account places the sending-off in the 73rd minute for an arm strike at a corner, while another describes a VAR-assisted dismissal in the 74th minute for an off-the-ball pull on Jamie McGrath. Andrews, a 19-year-old substitute, guided a composed finish from the edge of the box in the 87th minute — noted as the first goal of his career by one account — to seal a landmark win at the ground for Hibernian, described in different coverage as the club's first victory at Celtic Park since 2010 and elsewhere as their first in 16 years.
Rangers and Livingston: late comeback, red card and VAR drama
Rangers recovered from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 with Livingston in West Lothian. Livingston took the lead through Brooklyn Kabongolo's volley on 14 minutes and doubled up Lewis Smith in the 55th minute. The match turned when Cristian Montano was sent off on the hour by referee Ryan Lee for denying a goalscoring opportunity to Djeidi Gassama. Emmanuel Fernandez reduced the deficit in the 81st minute with a long-range strike and Mikey Moore nodded in from a James Tavernier cross two minutes from time. Livingston held during nine added minutes to secure a point, with a lengthy VAR check late on over a foul by Cammy Kerr on Moore at the edge of the box that ultimately yielded no penalty. The comeback was described by Rangers' head coach as involving a clear foul decision that was crucial in the context of the race.
Title race permutations and conflicting standings notes
The outcomes around the weekend have been framed as costly for the Glasgow pair. One account notes Rangers are now four points behind the leaders with 10 fixtures remaining. There are differing figures for Celtic's gap to the summit in the coverage: one narrative says Celtic's defeat leaves them two points further behind the top two while having played one game fewer, while another states the champions now trail the league leaders by six points. Motherwell's emphatic win and Hearts' victory were singled out as intensifying pressure on both Celtic and Rangers; projection in the coverage suggested Motherwell would move one point behind Celtic and three behind Rangers before the two Glasgow teams meet the following day, with the possibility floated that Motherwell could finish above one or both of Celtic and Rangers and that the Glasgow clubs could find themselves third and fourth in the table.
Managerial, player and fan reactions
Hibs head coach David Gray described the victory as "a long time coming, " noting it was their second visit this season without defeat and framing the win as evidence the side can compete if every man performs at his best. Livingston manager Marvin Bartley characterised his side's match as a "real rollercoaster of emotions, " saying he would have taken a 2-2 draw before the game, that his team had looked comfortable at 2-0, and that the sending-off marked the turning point; he added that the players gave him everything and that he saw positive signs despite the club's difficult situation. Fan reaction to Celtic's performance included strong criticism of manager Martin — one stream of comment dismissed claims the performance was "terrific, " attacked the defence and midfield, and attacked Auston Trusty by name.
Additional weekend results and the near-term schedule
Hearts won 1-0 at Tynecastle against Falkirk, with a January signing breaking the deadlock just before half-time by scoring his first goal for the club. Coverage noted that Hearts' win got their title push back on track after a recent defeat. Ahead fixtures cited in the weekend coverage include Hearts at home against Aberdeen and Motherwell at home against Dundee United next week, and a key Old Firm meeting with Celtic visiting Rangers next Sunday. One piece of match coverage also flagged a testing run of four consecutive away fixtures for Celtic following this defeat.
For viewers, a highlights programme of the day's action is scheduled at 19: 15 on a broadcaster's highlights slot. Michael Stewart, identified as a former Hearts and Hibs midfielder, contributed commentary on a radio programme during the coverage.
Recent updates indicate the picture for the title race and team form remains fluid; details may evolve as appeals, fixtures and further results unfold.
