CELTIC manager Martin O'Neill hailed substitute Kelechi Iheanacho's 'bit of class' as he secured a hard-fought three points against 10-man Hibs.
The visitors took the lead at Easter Road through Daizen Maeda's neat finish 20 minutes after Co. Meath native Jamie McGrath was shown a red card for a bad tackle on Alistair Johnston.
However, the hosts went in level after Joe Newell's goal in first-half injury time, despite the ball appearing to hit the midfielder's arm before he fired home.
With time ticking away in the second half, Iheanacho moved Celtic level on points with Hearts through a superb goal to make it 2-1 with 18 minutes remaining.
The Nigerian has struggled to nail down a first-team place this season after being hampered by injuries but now has four goals in Celtic's last five games.
Against Hibs, a Kieran Tierney corner was flicked onto the striker and after sublimely controlling it with his chest, Iheanacho drilled a left-foot shot beyond Jordan Smith.
"Overall, I'm just delighted to have won the game, it's the most important thing," O'Neill told Celtic TV.
"Iheanacho comes off the bench, shows a bit of class, a bit of composure as well to put it in the net and win it for us."
He added: "Sometimes it's really difficult when you're coming off the bench.
"First of all, you have to try and get into the game. Secondly, something might fall to you but he showed great composure in getting in because the ball took an age to come down but he still put it in the net as only he can do."
Celtic toil once again
The moment of magic that keeps Celtic in contention for the title came, once again, during a largely laborious affair.
Despite dominating possession, Celtic failed to muster a shot on target until the half-hour mark, 10 minutes after McGrath had received his marching orders.
Maeda eventually made the breakthrough when, after a smart give-and-go between Benjamin Nygren and Johnston, he turned the Canadian's cross home after 41 minutes.
However, despite it being largely one-way traffic for most of the half, Hibs equalised with their first effort on target just before the break.
After Sebastian Tounekti conceded a needless freekick out wide, Nicky Cadden's cross into the box was headed into mix by Martin Boyle.
Viljami Sinasalo flapped at the ball, which dropped to Newell to stab home.
Referee David Dickinson awarded the goal and despite appearing to strike Newell's arm before he finished, it was allowed to stand following a lengthy VAR review.
While Celtic players may have justifiably felt aggrieved at the call, there was no one else to blame but themselves for yet another largely listless performance.
Having scored 39 less league goals than at this stage last season (64 compared to 103) and conceded 14 more (37 to 23), Celtic have lost eight league games in a season for the first time since 1999/00.
It's remarkable that the Hoops are still in a title race at this stage but narrow wins and last-minute winners have kept them in the hunt, even if they haven't masked poor performances.
Just as he helped make the difference in the 2-1 win at Dundee at the start of April and the 6-2 extra-time Scottish Cup win over St Mirren, it was Iheanacho who got Celtic out of jail here, scoring within two minutes of his introduction.
Tense finale
O’Neill will be hoping the Nigerian's form and fitness endures for the final four games of the season.
Celtic still have to play Rangers and Hearts at home as well as Motherwell away and face Dunfermline in the Scottish Cup Final.
First up are their Glasgow rivals at Celtic Park next Sunday as the tightest title race in a years hurtles towards a tense finale.
While fellow hopefuls Hearts and Rangers face off tomorrow in what could be a pivotal game for Celtic, O'Neill was focussing solely on his team's meeting with the Ibrox side.
"There's always going to be noise around an Old Firm derby, there's always going to be that there, particularly when there's so much to play for as well," he said.
"So, it's one of those — we've won today, whatever result happens tomorrow, it happens.
"We're going to get ourselves physically prepared and mentally prepared for the game."
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