CELTIC COLLECTED only the statutory three points from a match they had to win twice. They seemed to have Hibs finished off at 2-0, were pulled back to 2-2, then finally made it over the line with another couple. It meant they have won six consecutive leagues games since losing the Old Firm derby at the end of August, and remain clear at the top of the table.

Their relentless ability to win SPL games immediately after demanding Champions League fixtures was maintained.

Manager Gordon Strachan took that as an opportunity to praise a squad bruised by criticism of their midweek defeat at Manchester United. "They have been doing it for three years now," he said, delighted by their stamina and drive. "Winning championships, qualifying for things, winning cups and producing football that's decent to watch."

Hibs did their bit to entertain too, but Celtic prevailed. They endured the absence of Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink and Georgios Samaras to score through four different players including teenager Cillian Sheridan. A run of injuries have been debilitating for Sheridan since he joined Celtic 18 months ago and this was his first 90 minutes at any level in four months. Given the injury list, he did not harm his prospects of staying in the manager's thoughts for the return against United a week on Wednesday. "I like the fact that he's tall and he's the only tall striker we've got," said Strachan.

"He was raw when he came here and he still needs a lot of work, but he gave us what we needed today, some power and threat to go in behind and hold the ball up. He's an example to everyone who wants to join Celtic. We don't have the money now, so there will people getting games."

Celtic had been fearful of karma making them pay for limiting Derek Riordan to just 24 appearances in almost as many months. Riordan tried his damndest on his return as one of Hibs' front three, but he couldn't haunt Strachan. The weather was foul - wind and rain driving into the players' faces - but the match was enjoyable from start to finish.

Hibs were bright and bold in their attacks from the beginning and Celtic's superior amount of possession meant that they, too, quickly imposed themselves on the match. Strachan made four changes from the team beaten by United, with Glenn Loovens and Aiden McGeady among the substitutes and Lee Naylor and Mark Wilson rested entirely by a manager mindful of the hard shift they had put in at Old Trafford.

They had to survive determined attempts from Riordan, including a free-kick and a snap shot at which Artur Boruc had to throw himself to push away for a corner. Riordan was always worth watching, at least until Celtic swamped Hibs in the second half.

Celtic looked to have done their work within a bountiful three-minute spell of the first half in which they scored twice. Shunsuke Nakamura took a poor corner but John Rankin swung a leg at the cross, missed, and watched as it flashed across the box and was turned in by Stephen McManus's close-range shot.

McManus was an unusual goalscorer and the same could be said of Celtic's second, put away by Sheridan. Just 19, tall, and slim, Sheridan generally made his presence felt and finished with aplomb when McManus's through ball reached him after a McDonald dummy. The Hibs goalkeeper, Yves Ma-Kalambay, raced out to meet him and Sheridan had the presence of mind to give him the slip and tuck a tidy angled shot into the net.

Surprisingly Hibs were not finished. It was Steven Fletcher, not Riordan, who inspired them. Barry Robson was Celtic's left-back and Hibs exposed him twice. First Fletcher beat him to unleash a ferocious shot which deflected off Colin Nish's head to deceive Boruc and give Hibs a toehold in the game just before half-time. Both players claimed the goal. "If I had been playing and it hit off my head I'd have claimed it," said Mixu Paatelainen, their manager. "But I am a greedy bugger."

Five minutes after the interval they were level. Nish held off Robson and launched a ball across the Celtic goal where Fletcher roared in to knock into the net.

The equaliser had the curious effect of acting as a catalyst to the team which conceded it. Hibs barely created a chance in the 40 minutes after their second goal, whereas Andreas Hinkel and McDonald soon had efforts saved by Ma-Kalambay. Celtic were not to be denied in an impressive response to Hibs' recovery. The outcome may have been different if McDonald had received a straight red for a crude challenge on David van Zanten, but he was only booked and Paatelainen did not protest. "I don't like to see players sent off. It was a rash tackle, a striker's tackle."

Effectively they won it when Shaun Maloney's deep corner was headed in at the back post by Loovens, whose firm connection somehow squirted between the post and Lewis Stevenson. Loovens had been introduced when McManus was taken off with a slight hamstring strain.

There would be no reply this time. Hibs were spent and conceded the best goal of the game seven minutes from the end. Hinkel played the ball in from the right, McDonald executed a delicious lay-off and Brown rifled a low shot inside the post to embellish a commanding individual display.

Celtic's work was done. So much so that there was relaxed, warm applause when Paddy McCourt came on for his competitive debut two minutes from time.