Celtic 1-2 Hibs – Time for some Defiant and Definitive Ratings | OneFootball

SANDMAN’S DEFINITIVE RATINGS: CELTIC v HEARTS’ BIATCHES…

Celtic v Hibernian, Scottish Premiership, 22 February 2026. Kasper Schmeichel protests a decision to the officials. Celtic Park. Photo Cameron Allan IMAGO/ Sportpix

THE FRIENDLY GHOST – 5.5/10 –  The Green Ones kept their ignorant gums clamped yesterday and might even have had the Schmeichel beer belly to thank for a point – terrific stop to keep us just the one down. Alas, nothing he could do to stop either goal, nor the skullduggery from the vermin ‘officiating’.

22.02.2026 Celtic v Hibernian, Scottish Premiership. Kieran Tiierney. Photo Kenny Ramsay IMAGO

KATIE – 6.5/10 MOTM – Thank God for KT’s mindset – the one Hoop driving at them continually, and prepared to fire in an early ball; just rewards with a superb cross to set up Negan. If only he still had the legs, but it was his drive that got us back in contention before the MIB apocalypse.

Julian Araujo and Nicky Cadden. Celtic v Hibernian, Scottish Premiership, Celtic Park, 22 February 2026. Photo Mark Runnacles IMAGO Shutterstock

AZTECO – 6/10 – Another who does have the balls and the will to win. If only his enthusiasm for the conflict was more infectious. Stalwart defending and dynamic attacking intent are the defining characteristics he possess to make him a bhoy worth keeping. Great mentality in adversity.

22.02.2026 Celtic v Hibernian, Scottish Premiership. Liam Scales rages at Matthew MacDermid after being fouled at a corner but no penalty given. Kenny Ramsay IMAGO

OF JUSTICE – 5.5/10 – Liam looked uneasy for a lot of the time, Boyle’s speedy presence had him a bit spooked. Only until we went to ten, ironically, and he shook off his ennui to get in about them and conduct a verbal sparring match with that insipid wee guy with the whistle.

Auston Trusty and Miguel Chaiwa. Celtic v Hibernian, Scottish Premiership, Celtic Park, 22 February 2026. Photo Mark Runnacles IMAGO Shutterstock

CRUSTY THE CLOWN – 5/10 – Tough afternoon handling a mobile front line in the stoatin’ rain, but was getting a reasonable grip on them, especially into the second half. Then… You’ve got to be kidding. A slap on the wrist of that simping-pussy McGrath now rates a red? Austin was the one being fouled, for heaven’s sake! I’m pinning no blame on the big man. Fed up with football if that’s the state things have descended to; and McGrath needs his card marked.

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Celtic v Hibernian, Scottish Premiership, 22 February 2026 Kai Andrews shot beats Callum McGregor and Kasper Schmeichel to provide Hibs with a late winner at Celtic Park. Photo Cameron Allan IMAGO/Sportpix

CALMAC – 6/10 – Easy to pile on the skipper again, but if you really watched today then you’d have witnessed a toiling solo operator doing his utmost to inject some tempo. Did you see how much of the ball he had? And did you see how little forward options he had at the first touch of possession? THAT’S the difference between this lack of rotation and Angeball; no willing recipients for the wall-pass or first-touch layoff. Negan doesn’t play that type of game – he appears intermittently if at all, like Sweden’s Brig O’ Doon. To be fair, The Ox did help Calmac stage some of our best football of the game. But he needs legs around him to sustain that and once we were down a man, chasing the ball, chances of recovering control slipped away.

22.02.2026 Celtic v Hibernian, Scottish Premiership. Benjamin Nygren’s goal celebration Photo Kenny Ramsay IMAGO

NEGAN – 5.5/10 – Told ye. Swoop, bang! Smash, saved…He’s like a living Football Manager PC game highlight clip. Aaand…*puff!* with that he was gone again.

22.02.2026 Celtic v Hibernian, SPFL Premiership. Miguel Chaiwa and Alex Oxlaide-Chamberlain. Photo Kenny Ramsay IMAGO

NEVILLE – 5.5/10 – Damn, The Ox emphasised the importance of some experience, class and guile with a lovely reverse ball down the middle to set up Negan for a shot before he vanished again. Ox needs his game legs working at full capacity and then we’d have a great complement to Calmac dead centre that would bring back game domination. Not too late yet.

Hyunjan Yang. Celtic v Hibernian, Scottish Premiership, Celtic Park, 22 February 2026. Photo Mark Runnacles IMAGO/ Shutterstock

YING – 4/10 – All over the place which is no bad thing IF he’d remember the ball requires kicked in the right direction occasionally.

Tomas Cvancara of Celtic shoots at goal .Celtic v Hibernian, Scottish Premiership, Celtic Park, 22 February 2026. Photo Mark Runnacles IMAGO/Shutterstock

CARAVAN – 6/10 – Much like the past two games, the big guy has looked very capable and willing. Wanted to see how he stood up to big Rocky today and his appetite for the fight was what we required. But we need to improve his service to see what he’s really made of. Missed a great snap-chance, though he should be on the receiving end of far more clear-cut opportunities.

Sebastian Tounekti of Celtic. Celtic v Hibernian, Scottish Premiership, Celtic Park, 22 Feb rural 2026. Photo Mark Runnacles IMAGO Shutterstock

TUTANKHAMUN – 5/10 – Thought he was coming right into it and had them doubling-up and worried, then got hooked like a Mikey J reconstructed crime scene when the warm showers were screaming…’YYYAAAANNGGGGG…’

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SUBS –

22.02.2026 Celtic v Hibernian, Scottish Premiership. Daizen Maeda dejection after Hibs second goal. Photo Kenny Ramsay IMAGO

LORD KATSUMOTO – N/A – Daizen was the perfect foil for us to win the game against a tired backline, but the MIBs struck and he was left hustling around with no real openings.

Celtic v Hibernian, Scottish Premiership, 22 February 2026 Kai Andrews celebrates his late goal, which secured Hibs first league win at Celtic Park in over 15 years. Reo Hatate looks dejected. Photo Cameron Allan IMAGO/ Sportpix

HAKUNA HATATE – N/A – Would Reo produce some salvaging magic? Eh, no. His real trick was getting on ahead of Luke…

PENDRAGON – N/A – Tough introduction, but no fault for their winner. Young Arthur is going to have to strive to be the king of Mordor next week with the big Yank sacrificed at the altar of MIBbery (See what I did there, Camelot lore fans?).

JAMESY – 5.5/10 – Thought Jamesy looked the sprightliest and most threatening in his cameo; after a rousing slalom at one point, he came really close to pulling a miracle out of his shorts. That’s what she said.

Marcelo Saracchi of Celtic. Celtic v Hibernian, Scottish Premiership, Celtic Park, 22 February 2026. Photo Mark Runnacles IMAGO Shutterstock

SCRATCHY – N/A – Would have preferred him on earlier, with KT still on the park because their right side was getting frantic and disjointed.

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FATHER MARTIN AND SAMWISE GANGEE – 6/10 – No marvels of wisdom in the rain. Only grim late, and crucial, loss for the first time since his return, sabotaged by the ludge scum. Only quibble I had was Tut off and Yang getting extended minutes when he was hapless as an attacking force. But we’ll never know really if – on a level playing field – that would have borne fruit.

22.02.2026 Celtic v Hibernian, Scottish Premiership. Referee Matthew MacDermid conveys his VAR decision on Auston Trusty red card. Photo Kenny Ramsay IMAGO.

MIBBERY – 10/10 – You wee rat. And that insidious mob hiding in their VAR dungeon will hopefully come down with a terminal farmyard dose after their goatfest celebrations last night. When I look at that wee guy with the whistle I usually subdue my inner voice (one of…) which muses that there has not been enough brutal bullying in schools for the past quarter century. Now I know to listen to those abstract notions because therein lies the bitter truth.

22.02.2026 Celtic v Hibernian, Scottish Premiership. Matthew MacDermid Photo Kenny Ramsay IMAGO

Zombies two down, Livi a straight red. And THIRTEEN minutes of injury time are added… Celtic back in it, dominating, seeking a winner… A red conjured out of nowhere as some effete reprobate goes down like a dive into the hold of a fishing trawler, and those scurrilous lot seize their chance for the most vile bit of connivery and cheating we’ve seen in years. Make no excuses for them. Don’t fall for any SMSM sophistry that would excuse their craven deceit – those mobsters seized on, distorted and exploited a nothing incident to derail a Celtic title bid. To hell with  their duplicity, their pretensions to rationale. A venomous curse on their bloodlines.

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A view of Celtic Park Celtic v Hibernian, Scottish Premiership, 22 February 2026. Photo Mark Runnacles IMAGO/Shutterstock

OVERALL – 5/10 – A defeat. At the worst time. For many reasons? Mainly for the obvious. As mentioned briefly above…Hibs are decent and we fell to a mental lapse for the opener. But the recovery and focus was good, the pressure from half-time to the ridiculous underhand sabotage was staging a win. I thought had we nailed the second, a third would surely have followed as Hibs resilience crumbled…

A view of Celtic Park Celtic v Hibernian, Scottish Premiership, 22 February 2026. Photo Mark Runnacles IMAGO/Shutterstock

Not to be. But as a performance versus a capable SPL opponent with a full complement, I’m not condemning anyone; after a tussle, the game was looking like ours or a frustrating point at least. Now we find ourselves on the back foot after a chance to take the top. And Hibs find themselves the architects of their greatest rivals’ most joyous Sunday of the season. Only Hibs could win at Celtic Park and still be Hibsing-it beyond anything they’ve ever done before…

Ante Suto of Hibernian with Daizen Maeda of Celtic and Marcelo Saracchi of Celtic Celtic v Hibernian, Scottish Premiership, Celtic Park, 22 February 2026. Photo Mark Runnacles IMAGO Shutterstock

So it looks like this – play me and another unlucky ten drawn by straws from Celtic Noise on Thursday and get the first-choice eleven rested and fit for Mordor next Sunday. A win there will do nicely and mentally finish the Zombies as a hapless title challenger, while we can rack up the points waiting for the Replicants to implode – which they will – and help us pip the real title contenders to our trophy…

Motherwell.

Oh yes they are….

Go Away Now

Sandman

Celtic in the Thirties by Matt Corr. Click on image to order

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