Hibernian 0-3 Celtic: Stokes and Hooper sink Hibs

Hibs relegation worries deepened as SPL leaders Celtic cruised to victory at Easter Road this afternoon, goals from Gary Hooper and a double from former Hibs striker Anthony Stokes, his first via the penalty spot, completing a good afternoon's work for the Glasgow outfit as they stretched their lead, at least temporarily, at the top of the SPL table once more.

Those goals came in six minutes either side of half-time, Hooper scoring 60 seconds from the interval and Stokes five minutes after the restart to leave Hibs facing a seventh successive SPL match without a victory.

Hibs boss Colin Calderwood made three changes to the side which disappointingly drew with Second Division Ayr United in the Scottish Cup, David Wotherspoon, Edwin de Graaf and Lewis Stevenson replacing the suspended Liam Miller, Darryl Duffy, who dropped to the bench, and Jonathan Grounds, now back with Middlesbrough following his loan spell in Edinburgh.

Celtic were able to employ the talents of James Forrest despite his red card in midweek, the youngster eligible to play until his appeal is heard by the SFA , while there was something of a surprise return for Hooper after injury.

The first half took almost it's entire 45 minutes to warm-up with little incident until the closing 120 seconds which was enough to see Celtic head up the tunnel with a one goal lead thanks to the returning Hooper.

The striker had just seen Hibs goalkeeper Mark Brown pull off a superb save, thrusting out his left boot to divert his shot wide when he was presented with another opportunity in the 44th minute, Stokes pulling both Steven Thicot and Francis Dickoh wide before supplying the pass which left his team-mate to slip Paul Hanlon's challenge before rolling the ball beyond the stranded Brown and into the far corner of the net.

Until that stage it had looked as if half-time would arrive with the game goal-less, Celtic defender Daniel Majstorovic passing up a glorious opportunity to score three minutes earlier as he found himself free six yards out to meet Mark Wilson's free-kick only to head wide.

For Hibs it had been a half of containment and as the interval approached Calderwood would have been happy at the lack of openings offered to Celtic until those fateful couple of minutes.

Affairs took another turn for the worse five minutes into the second half for the home side as Lewis Stevenson was adjudged to have brought down Stokes inches inside the penalty area, a decision by referee Craig Thomson which infuriated the little defender.

Stokes, as he had done at New Douglas Park in midweek to earn Celtic a precious point against Hamilton, made no mistake from the spot, drilling the ball hard and low and down the middle of the goal as Brown dived to his right.

Hibs mood wasn't helped a minute later as a late, late offside flag was raised against Danny Galbraith as he raced in to slide the ball beyond Celtic goalkeeper Fraser Forster. The Easter Road side went close again as David Wotherspoon's cross from the right eluded the visiting defence, the ball falling for Derek Riordan who made for the bye-line before firing the ball back into the danger area, unfortunately there were no Hibs players in a position to cash in.

Brown did well to push away a low shot from Paddy McCourt but from the resultant corner Stokes took down Emilio Isaguirre's cross with his back to goal before delivering a hook shot over his shoulder and into the far corner of the net, a sublime finish and, ominously for Hibs, with 35 minutes remaining.

It was backs-to-the-wall stuff for Hibs who had looked so compact for those opening 40 minutes, Calderwood's side suddenly looking a touch ragged as Celtic sensed blood and Dickoh did well to deny Stokes his hat-trick, heading off the line after the hitman had raced into penalty area and placed a delicate chip over Brown.

Substitute Duffy almost claimed what would have been no more than a consolation goal for Hibs 11 minutes from time as he got across the face of Celtic's defence to meet Galbraith's near post cross. Forster threw up a hand, possibly more in hope than anything else, but he managed to divert the ball onto the bar and safety.

Hibs: M Brown, Thicot, Dickoh, Hanlon, Stevenson, Wotherspoon (McBride 73), De Graaf (Duffy 70), Murray, Galbraith, Zemmama (Byrne 80), Riordan, Subs not used: Smith, Booth, Nish, Stephens.

Celtic: Forster, Wilson, Rogne, Majstorovic, Izaguirre, Forrest, S Brown, Kayal (Ledley 67), McCourt (Mulgrew 80), Stokes, Hooper (Ljungberg 75). Subs not used: Zaluska, Murphy, Towell, McGinn.

Ref: Craig Thomson.