Celtic 6-1 Hibernian
JAMES FORREST TOOK his tally of Celtic goals to a 100 with a hat-trick in the 6-1 cinch Premiership hammering of Hibernian.
The 31-year-old Scotland winger has dropped down the pecking order at Parkhead but in his first start of the season he scored either side of a Giorgos Giakoumakis strike to give the league leaders a commanding interval lead.
Half-time substitute Elie Youan pulled a goal back in the 56th minute for the visitors before Forrest, who came through the ranks at Celtic, completed his hat-trick two minutes later with further strikes from Giakoumakis and substitute Daizen Maeda underlining Celtic’s superiority.
Ange Postecoglou’s men may be struggling for points in the Champions League – they have one after four group games – but they remain the team to beat domestically and they moved five points ahead of second-top Rangers who play Motherwell at Fir Park on Sunday.
The typical early Parkhead onslaught brought rewards in the eighth minute when Sead Haksabanovic’s cross from the left was met by Forrest and he knocked a volley back across former Celtic keeper David Marshall and in at the far post.
Celtic were in rampant mood and went further ahead in the 18th minute when Alexandro 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 decent shot which Marshall saved, only to let it fumble out of his grasp and over the line.
It was all over bar the scoreline.
Hibs did pull one back after the break, with Martin Boyle playing in Youan to beat keeper Joe Hart at his near post with a powerful drive.
But any notions of a comeback were soon dispelled when Aaron 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.
