It’s a stramash as celebrating Lennon is hit by a coin from the crowd and the players resort to fisticuffs
Clockwise: Florian Kamberi is restrained and receives red card; Neil Lennon is on the ground after the coin throwing incident; Bartley receives treatment from the Hibs’ physio; the goal that never was; Hobs’ Boyle squares up to Hearts’ Smith.
By Bill Heaney
Bring back Arthur Montford. There is only one word to describe this game and that is STRAMASH.
The late STV soccer pundit would have been screaming it into his microphone had he been at Easter Road tonight.
Hibs manager Neil Lennon was struck in the face by an object thrown from the crowd as Hearts had what would have been a stoppage-time winner disallowed in a ferocious Edinburgh derby.
Clevid Dikamona’s 91st-minute header was ruled offside before a celebrating Lennon was hit from the main stand. Lennon was jumping up and down and celebrating the fact that what would have been Hearts’ winner was (rightly) scored off by referee Andrew Dallas.
Dallas is the son of Hugh Dallas, the referee who was struck by a coin flung from the crowd at Celtic Park which drew blood during an Old Firm match.
Hearts’ lead in the Scottish Premiership was cut to four points after the draw, in which Hibs held on for 25 minutes with 10 men after the controversial sending off of Florian Kamberi for two bookable offences.
The Swiss striker, who had been booked towards the end of the first half, was shown a second yellow card for barging into Oliver Bozanic as they challenged for a high ball.
Craig Levein’s injury-ravaged Hearts side created little but held firm at the back in their first game since the League Cup semi-final defeat by Celtic.
Hibs had the best chances, with Stevie Mallan striking the bar twice as he went close with two first-half free-kicks.
But they had to settle for a point that edges them up to fifth, with Neil Lennon’s side sitting eight adrift of Hearts with a game in hand.
Even without captain Scott Brown, midfield play-maker Olivier Ntcham and the option to field poacher Leigh Griffiths, Celtic strolled into Dundee and subjugated their compliant hosts.
They seem to be moving up a gear domestically, turning their customary consistency of past seasons into effective, free-scoring performances with their sights on the Premiership summit.
Hearts, seen off in the League Cup semi-final, visit Celtic Park next and the timing looks perfect.
There were so many positives for Rodgers. Christie and Sinclair excelled and scored again, as they did at Murrayfield. Rogic delivered in considerable style.
Fringe players are getting game time which is important given Celtic’s schedule, balancing domestic football with Europa League demands. The only negative was that injury to Arzani.
For Dundee and McIntyre this was undeniably sore. The new manager knew he faced a tall order but he might have expected more resilience than this.
Perhaps he is finding out things about his squad that will be telling come January when the transfer window opens.
Rangers dropped points at home for the first time this season but moved up to fourth in the Premiership as Kilmarnock drew to stay in the top three.
Alfredo Morelos’s strike put the hosts ahead but Greg Stewart levelled.
Jamie MacDonald denied Ryan Kent, Morelos, Andy Halliday and Connor Goldson as Rangers pressed.
And the goalkeeper’s saves kept Kilmarnock three points clear of Rangers, though Steve Clarke’s side drop below Celtic.