The Old Firm seem to be conspiring to take the title race to the last day of the season in a diabolical attempt to shred the nerves of a large constituency of Scotland and elsewhere.

Celtic kept their part of the bargain yesterday under a Parkhead sun that could not quite dispel the dark thoughts of supporters fearing a fatal slip at the final home hurdle. It was a match marked with irony.

A game full of energy, invention and cleverly manufactured openings was finally settled with the uninspiring, but valuable currency of headers from two set-pieces. A clash that was played in a highly competitive manner, but was never vicious, also included two players being sent off.

Martin Canning was harshly dismissed, receiving a second yellow card for what seemed at worst a slightly mistimed tackle. Ian Murray went, correctly, for a cynical foul on Aiden McGeady.

For all Celtic's pressure, too, Artur Boruc was forced to make four good saves. The final irony was that the goal that settled the collective Celtic nervous system was scored by Scott McDonald, who had a woeful afternoon that included two moments of selfishness that could have cost his side dear.

A centre forward, particularly one with 25 goals in the Clydesdale Bank Premier League, is entitled to be single-minded, but the Australian forced a highly nervous conclusion to the match by disdaining to pass the ball to Paul Hartley after a good break in the first half and then, unforgiveably, deciding to shoot instead of squaring the ball to either Mark Wilson or Shunsuke Nakamura, who had the goal at his mercy, early in the second half.

McDonald redeemed himself, as forwards do, by planting the ball in the net with his forehead after Clayton Donaldson deflected a Barry Robson free-kick. But Celtic survived some anxious moments before and after Stephen McManus headed in a Nakamura corner kick.

Hibernian, playing with three up front when in possession, forced Boruc to make two smart saves in the first half. Dean Shiels, from a tight angle, and Steven Fletcher, from the edge of the box, were denied by the goalkeeper, who also made crucial saves from Clayton Donaldson and Guillaume Beuzelin when the match was poised at 1-0. Celtic's best chances came from set-pieces, with Nakamura smacking the post in the first half and forcing Andrew McNeil into a scrambling save in the second.

This was a match, unusually at Parkhead, when Celtic were offered scope to counter-attack. Hibs poured men forward, particularly at corner kicks, and the pace and guile of McGeady and Nakamura should have been enough to provide Celtic with a comfortable advantage. However, Celtic snatched at chances or dithered in possession.

Hibs came out the traps with the pace of a greyhound who has observed a cat on top of the electronic hare but were forced back during the match by a combined Celtic will that was personified by Robson and Hartley in the centre of midfield.

Robson clattered into a tackle in the first minute and, though his distribution was not perfect, his ability to both fire in crosses and tackles contributed heavily to Celtic's victory. Hartley, too, was industrious and combative.

Nakamura, who has been the target of much misjudged comment over his work-rate, was highly influential. He was always available to receive the ball and he even earned the soubriquet "the hard-tackling midfielder" with a series of challenges that may not have been meaty but were not entirely vegan either.

McGeady, who seemed to get faster as the game progressed, did not have his most rewarding afternoon but he was part of a Celtic midfield that pushed and squeezed their Hibs counterparts while posing danger to an increasingly overworked back four.

Celtic's only conspicuous failures were Lee Naylor, who looks as if he wants to be elsewhere and may soon be granted that wish, and Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink, who consistently showed he had the pace of the electronic hare during a power cut.

In fairness, the big Dutchman worked hard but scorned the best chance he had, nodding carelessly wide early in the first half.

For Hibs, this was a promising performance matched with a disappointing result. Shiels and Fletcher, though, have great potential and could be joined as regulars in the first first team by Ross Campbell, whose pace and enterprising runs caused Celtic some anxiety, particularly in the first half.

The Edinburgh side, though, suffer from an inability to produce that elusive alchemy that all managers of entertaining teams seek, namely to turn possession into goals.

Boruc played his part in that failing but Hibs also contributed by a reluctance to pull the trigger when the goal was in their sights. They have paid the price for this by failing to attain the third spot in the league.

Celtic, meanwhile, have 11 days to wait before their next match, away to Dundee United. Rangers will play twice in the league in the same period.

The race goes on in the Clydesdale Bank Premier League, brought to you in association with Valium.