Naylor nets in Celtic win

12 April 2012

Lee Naylor's first goal for Celtic helped the Clydesdale Bank Premier League champions to a 2-0 victory over Hibernian at Easter Road.

The 27-year-old English defender, who had failed to notch since his arrival from Wolves in August 2006, drove home the opener in the 64th minute following a surging run from the middle of the park.

Celtic substitute Georgios Samaras, on for Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink in the 72nd minute, scored three minutes later from an Aiden McGeady cross to secure the points and keep the pressure on leaders Rangers.

John Rankin had the first real chance for Hibs in the seventh minute as Steven Fletcher sent him through on goal but Artur Boruc did well to save with his legs.

Hibs kept up the pressure and had the ball in the net two minutes later but Colin Nish was adjudged, correctly, to have been offside when he headed Rankin's free-kick past Boruc from close range.

In Celtic's first real attack, with 15 minutes gone, midfielder Shunsuke Nakamura's deep cross from the left found Vennegoor of Hesselink at the back post but the big Dutchman headed tentatively into the sidenetting.

Just before the break, Hibees' midfielder Ian Murray headed a Brian Kerr corner just over the bar and in the dying seconds Rankin flashed a drive across the Celtic six-yard box but found no takers.

A minute after the restart, Celtic wideman McGeady played Vennegoor of Hesselink in with a clever pass and when the Dutchman's ball found Scott Brown, the former Hibs midfielder's side-footed shot from 10 yards was blocked by Martin Canning.

But Celtic got the breakthrough in he 65th minute through Naylor as the defender picked up a Nakamura pass in the middle of the park and drove forward until he reached the Hibs penalty area where he got the break of the ball off Chris Hogg before driving a right-footed shot from 16 yards past Andrew McNeil.

The second goal, which sealed the points, came when Samaras headed a McGeady cross in off the post from 10 yards.

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