Celtic Vs Hibernian shock Celtic Park as late Andrews strike hands Hibs historic win

In a weekend that reshaped the title race, celtic vs hibernian ended 2-1 at Celtic Park as substitute Kai Andrews struck in the 87th minute to secure Hibernian’s first victory at the ground in 16 years and hand Martin O’Neill his first domestic defeat since returning to the club.

Celtic Vs Hibernian — late goal and red card swing

Hibernian took the lead when Felix Passlack headed in Nicky Cadden’s cross, with that opening goal coming after Celtic had been caught out in the build-up. Benjamin Nygren hauled Celtic level on the stroke of half-time with a diving header from a Kieran Tierney cross, his 18th of the season, nodding the champions back into contention just as the fourth official signalled added time.

The match turned decisively late in the second half when Auston Trusty was sent off for an off-the-ball incident involving Jamie McGrath at a corner; one account described the dismissal as VAR-assisted for a pulled arm, another said he punched McGrath. Playing with 10 men, Celtic pressed but Hibs hit back when Ante Suto laid the ball off for substitute Kai Andrews, who finished calmly from the edge of the box in the 87th minute — the first goal of the 19-year-old’s career — to seal a 2-1 win.

Rangers and Livingston drama reshuffles the weekend

Elsewhere, Rangers fought back from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 with 10-man Livingston in West Lothian. Brooklyn Kabongolo opened the scoring with a volley in the 14th minute and Lewis Smith doubled the lead in the 55th, with goalkeeper Jerome Prior prominent in keeping Rangers at bay early on.

The game turned against Livingston on the hour when Cristian Montano was sent off by referee Ryan Lee for denying Rangers attacker Djeidi Gassama a goalscoring opportunity five minutes later. Emmanuel Fernandez pulled a goal back with a strike from the edge of the box in the 81st minute and Mikey Moore levelled with a glancing header from a James Tavernier cross with two minutes remaining. Livingston survived nine minutes of added time and a lengthy VAR check for a penalty after Moore was tackled by Cammy Kerr at the edge of the box.

Rangers’ head coach Danny Röhl said it was a clear foul in his view and that the late decisions were crucial in the context of the race.

Title race pressure, upcoming fixtures and shifting positions

The weekend’s results left the two Glasgow giants under pressure as other clubs closed in. Motherwell won emphatically and Hearts also recorded a victory, a pattern that Michael Stewart noted on Sportsound as adding pressure to the top sides. Next week’s fixtures include Hearts at home against Aberdeen and Motherwell at home against Dundee United; Motherwell would move one point behind Celtic and three behind Rangers before those two meet the next day, and the club could conceivably finish above one or both of the Glasgow teams.

On Saturday, Hearts got their title push back on track with a 1-0 win over Falkirk at Tynecastle, the Jambos breaking the deadlock just before half-time when January signing Islam Chesnokov lashed home his first goal for the club. Hibernian’s win at Celtic Park followed a positive result last week against St Mirren, a sequence their head coach David Gray said showed the squad’s capability when everyone performs at their best; he also noted that Hibs remain five points behind Motherwell and still have two fixtures to play against them, with all teams around them to be navigated before the season ends.

Voices from the dugouts and the stands

Martin O’Neill suffered his first domestic defeat since returning to Celtic, and reactions ran from managerial reflection to stark fan criticism calling the performance poor and singling out Trusty. Hibs boss David Gray said it had been "a long time coming, " pointing to resilience from two visits this season without defeat and stressing the importance of taking one game at a time. Livingston manager Marvin Bartley described his side’s match as a "real rollercoaster of emotions, " saying the turning point was the sending-off and praising his players’ effort despite their position at the foot of the table.

Highlights of the weekend’s action and discussion will be shown on Sportscene, with a highlights programme on Scotland at 19: 15.

Next up, Celtic travel to Rangers next Sunday for an Old Firm meeting that may come without Trusty if his dismissal stands, while the rest of the top-of-the-table fixtures — Hearts at home to Aberdeen and Motherwell hosting Dundee United — follow in the coming week.