WILLIAMSON’S COMMENTS

"We tried to change things tactically to create a bit of width to exploit Celtic but we never moved the ball quickly enough. Our passing let us down and we tried the hard ball through the middle where Celtic were strong and solid."

"I was disappointed we never stepped things up when they went down to ten men. Celtic took every opportunity to slow the game down, they made their passes and kept the ball in areas which suited them. That’s when we had to roll our sleeves up and work hard. We’ve seen it happen before when it is 11 against ten but that’s when you have to work that bit harder."

"When you have scored a goal you have to be wary especially playing against either half of the Old Firm because you know they will be angry and will be trying to get back into the game quickly. The players were warned about the runs of Petrov but he wasn’t spotted quickly enough, one of our midfielders didn’t track him."

"It is frustrating for any manager to see his team do well against the Old Firm [and come away with nothing]. Players want to perform in front of the cameras and big crowds but they have to do that on a weekly basis."

"I’m disappointed because I felt we were capable of getting something out of this game. Now we have to look to Saturday’s match against Partick Thistle and hope to take something from it."

EVENING NEWS

"Putting the frighteners on the Old Firm not enough"

IT’S easy to understand the feeling of frustration that must have been welling ups inside Hibs boss Bobby Williamson having watched his team give Celtic a massive fright only a month after scaring the life out of Rangers.

Once again Hibs earned plenty of praise for their enterprising football against the Old Firm but yet again a pleasing performance eventually counted for nothing.

And if it was a missed penalty at Ibrox which left Williamson and his players wondering what might have been, on this occasion it was a spot-kick which left them in the same state of mind.

THE SCOTSMAN

"Balde absence leaves Celtic defenceless"

In the first half of this match, they played not so much spinelessly as carelessly. Hibs had by far the better of the opening exchanges, and, after several near misses, deservedly went ahead when, from a Stephen Glass corner, Colin Murdock headed back from the far post for Mathias Kouo-Doumbe to poke home.

Unfortunately for the home side, that goal acted as an alarm call for Celtic, stirring them into life so swiftly that within a minute they were level again. Hibs should have snuffed out the break upfield before it got near to their box, but, when it was played into the path of Stilian Petrov, Jarkko Wiss made contact with both ball and player, and Alan Thompson obliged from the spot.

In the closing minutes of the half efforts from Sutton and Henrik Larsson gave notice that the tide had turned in Celtic’s favour. That was all the more evident in the opening stages of the second, and there was a feeling of inevitability about Larsson’s goal from a Shaun Maloney reverse pass.

Hibs can take heart from the fact that few of their rivals can hit back so quickly the way Celtic did. On the other hand, though, they know that, like so many of those rivals, they find it easy to raise their game against the Old Firm, and somewhat more difficult to maintain that elevated standard against more mundane opposition. Saturday’s visit to Firhill looks like an ideal opportunity to shake off that inconsistency.

SCOTLAND ON SUNDAY

"Balde leaves Celtic shorn"

Hibs also had in their favour the sprightly enthusiasm of young Stephen Dobbie, fresh from his half-hour hat-trick against Montrose in midweek. The little striker, one of five at Bobby Williamson’s disposal, ran at Celtic with refreshing confidence, and might have scored had his fierce shot from 25 yards not soared wide of the left-hand post. When he was substituted midway through the second half, replaced by Brown, he went off to warm applause.

For all that Hibs were stretching Celtic on the break, their deserved breakthrough arrived courtesy of a set-piece. Stephen Glass flung a corner to the back post and Varga, guilty from the same position of the weak clearance that gifted Bayern Munich their equaliser, permitted Colin Murdock to head it back across goal. Doumbe was there to jab it over the line.

What Hibs had taken 38 minutes to build they promptly destroyed in the space of 45 seconds. Jarkko Wiss lunged at Stilian Petrov in the box and, when the referee pointed to the spot, Alan Thompson sent goalkeeper Daniel Andersson the wrong way.

It served not only to deny Hibs their advantage, but to sap them of their surging morale. Celtic had already threatened, with Petrov’s shot and Balde’s header drifting by the frame of Andersson’s goal, but the equaliser enabled them to go about their subsequent business almost uninterrupted.

SUNDAY MAIL

"BIG BOBO MAKES A BIG BOO-BOO"

There is NO chance O'Neill will appeal the decision and even if he did it would be heard this week and still leave Balde out.

But one appeal he will make to the SFA is to sort out a glaringly obvious clash with the ref's kit and Celtic's black-and-gold away strip.

Three times in the first half, Chris Sutton and Alan Thompson picked out Freeland with pin-point passes thanks to his gold and-black gear.

IT took Hibs 38 minutes to batter Celtic on to the ropes but just 45 seconds to let them up again to deliver the killer blow.

The Easter Road men gave Celts a going over in the first half and took the lead deservedly through Mathias Doumbe seven minutes before the break.

But the moment when you must be most wary is right after you've taken the initiative and Finnish midfielder Jarko Wiss handed it back to the Hoops on a silver salver with a daft lunge on Stilian Petrov inside the box.

Bobby Williamson's men were streets ahead of Celtic at the time. But Alan Thompson's ice-cool spot-kick ensured they were on level terms in the dressing room at the break and they never looked back from there.

THE HERALD

"Hibs play valiantly while being mugged by Celtic"

There's a time-honoured ritual about these matches at Easter Road which you think about as you stroll up to the stadium. It goes something like this: we'll watch Hibs play valiantly while being mugged by Celtic.

This latest episode must have been murder to endure for Hibs' long-suffering supporters, supping their honest grog around the pubs of Leith while mulling over yet another doing. When these boys (and perhaps girls) sang at the Celtic supporters, "You're not very clean!" it was about the only bit of one-upmanship they enjoyed all afternoon.

BBC NEWS ONLINE

Celtic produced another accomplished performance to earn three more valuable points in the SPL title race.

Hibs were the better side in the opening half and deservedly took the lead through Mathias Doumbe after 38 minutes.

But the turning point in the match came just a minute later when Celtic won a penalty and Alan Thompson converted it to take the sides in level at the interval.

OFFICIAL WEB SITE

Hibernian today lost 2-1 in a thrilling encounter against Celtic at Easter Road – despite taking the lead late in the first half.

Pace, movement and some aggressive tackling by the youthful Hibs side ensured the match remained highly competitive from start to finish against the enormously experienced UEFA Cup runners-up.

Yet despite their valiant efforts, the Easter Road players and management were left feeling disappointed at taking nothing from the game – just as they had done following the team’s exciting performance against Rangers at Ibrox.