Hot Hoops hammer hosts Hibs

Published: Sunday, 19. February, 2012 in category SPL

Celtic stretched their lead over Rangers at the top of the SPL to 17 points, with Gary Hooper scoring twice in a 5-0 win at Hibs on Sunday.

Hooper: At the double for Hoops

Hooper was a menace throughout at Easter Road and soon after he went close in the opening seconds, the Hoops took the lead when Anthony Stokes nodded in Charlie Mulgrew's corner.

Stokes turned provider as he carved open the defence with a pass for Hooper to poke in against his former club.

The hosts didn't lie down as a shot by Lewis Stevenson and header by Isaiah Osbourne just missed the target.

But the Hoops powered on after the break, with Mulgrew curling in a cracking free-kick and it was four inside the hour as Hooper's long-range shot squeezed past keeper Graham Stack.

The fifth arrived with a lucky bounce off the leg of substitute Ki Sung Yueng from a wayward Kris Commons shot and only the woodwork denied a sixth with Joe Ledley's header crashing off the bar.

Hibernian rarely threatened as the visitors racked up their 18th consecutive domestic win.

Full report to follow...