Hibs shock Celtic to give Rangers hope

Celtic manager Martin O'Neill. Hibernian shocked Celtic with a 3-1 win at Parkhead to blast the Scottish Premier League title race wide open.

Hibernian shocked Celtic with a 3-1 win at Parkhead to blast the Scottish Premier League title race wide open.

Goals for Garry O'Connor, Ivan Sproule and Scott Brown gave the Edinburgh side the amazing win, with Craig Beattie scoring for Celtic to make it 1-1 at the beginning of the second-half.

The result handed Rangers a title lifeline after their Old Firm defeat the previous week looked to have ended their SPL hopes.

For the third home game in a row Celtic found themselves behind to an early goal. Derek Riordan's cute back-heel released Brown who broke forward with the ball from his own half and played in O'Connor.

The 21-year-old Hibs striker cut inside Slovakian defender Stanislav Varga and blasted home from eight-yards to give the Edinburgh side the lead in the sixth minute.

Celtic tried to hit back and should have been level in the 17th minute. Alan Thompson swung a free-kick in from the left which found its way to Bobo Balde, who was unmarked only a few yards out, but the Guinean international took his eye off the ball and completely missed his header.

Hibs goalkeeper Simon Brown then had to be sharp off his line on the 20th minute to save at the feet of Jackie McNamara, who had played a neat one-two with John Hartson to create the opening.

The home side were enjoying the majority of possession but Tony Mowbray's side were looking dangerous on the break and in the 30th minute Antonio Murray forced Celtic keeper David Marshall into a good save with a driven shot from the edge of the penalty box.

Celtic had another good opportunity to level things in the 34th minute when Hibs keeper Brown could only punch Aiden McGeady's cross into the path of Balde but from 16-yards the defender volleyed over.

And just before half-time Hartson had a glorious opportunity to make it all square when he controlled McNamara's long-ball on his chest, turned to towards goal but from only six-yards he could only smash a shot into the side netting.

Martin O'Neill decided to make a change during the break and brought Beattie on to replace Shaun Maloney who had struggled to make an impact in the match.

But it was Hibs who created the first chance of the second period when Amadou Konte went through on goal in the 47th minute but he fired wide.

And two minutes later the Easter Road side had an even better chance to double their lead when Riordan went through one-on-one with David Marshall but his attempted lob was brilliantly tipped away by the Celtic keeper at full-stretch.

However, the half-time substitution paid off for Celtic in the 49th minute. Stilian Petrov chipped the ball towards the back post from wide on the left, Joos Valgaeren headed back across goal and Beattie volleyed home from six-yards out.

And three minutes later the Parkhead side should have been ahead when Hibs keeper Brown dropped a Thompson cross into the path of Balde but the big defender pulled his shot wide.

Brown kept his side level with a terrific save in the 66th minute when he somehow got his hands to Hartson's glancing header which looked to be heading into the top corner of the net.

And in the 78th minute Hibernian restored their lead when Sproule, who had replaced Derek Riordan six minutes earlier, burst through on goal and drove the ball under Marshall.

The Celtic fans were stunned by the goal, but a minute later things were to get even worse when their side fell further behind.

Antonio Murray collected the ball on the half-way line and played a sliding ball to put Scott Brown through one-on-one with Marshall and he fired home to secure all three points.

In the other SPL games on Saturday Dundee United won the final Dundee derby of the season with a 2-1 win at Dens Park.

United's Mark Wilson put them ahead at the start of the second-half but Stevie Lovell equalised from the penalty spot.

However, Jim McIntyre restored the visitors lead to give United all three points. Dundee's Tom McManus was sent off near the end.

Hearts and Motherwell fought out a goalless draw at Tynecastle though Well's Richie Foran missed a first-half penalty.

Livingston won 2-0 in their bottom of the table clash at home to Dunfermline with goals from Burton O'Brian and James McPate in either half given them the points.

And Kilmarnock won 2-1 away to Inverness Caledonian Thistle with Gary McDonald and a Peter Leven penalty given them the points with Ross Tokely's first half-penalty briefly levelling the game.