Martin O'Neill issues 'preferred' Hearts-Rangers outcome as Celtic boss reacts to VAR flashpoints in Hibs win

The defending champions survived a jittery afternoon at Easter Road to edge past 10-man Hibs and secure a crucial victory that piles the pressure on their two title rivals ahead of their holiday Monday showdown at Tynecastle.

Substitute Kelechi Iheanacho came to Celtic’s rescue once again as they avoided any slip-up in Leith after Joe Newell’s controversial equaliser shortly before half-time had cancelled out Daizen Maeda’s opener.

Focus now shifts to across the city to Tynecastle and a relieved O’Neill confessed he will tune in to watch their rivals fight it out from behind his couch.

“Where will I be watching? From behind the couch. I’m behind the couch most of the time,” the 74-year-old said with a wry smile. “I was certainly behind the couch for the last five minutes against Hibs.

”I won’t be there in person - I’m not sure I’d get a fantastic welcome - but I will definitely be watching it. We have our Player of the Years awards this evening, so I’ll likely watch it at the club or the training ground tomorrow.

“I honestly don’t know what my preferred outcome is. Even if we win the rest of our games, we aren’t guaranteed to win the league because if Hearts win all of theirs, they have a better goal difference that we won’t make up. Perhaps a draw would be best so that both teams drop points.”

O’Neill concerned VAR could have big bearing on title race

O’Neill gave his assessment of VAR’s decision to allow Hibs a route back into the match shortly before half-time. The ball appeared to catch Newell’s arm before he prodded it into the net.

It was a decision that left the visitors’ dugout incensed and led O’Neill to admit he is concerned the technology could have a big say over the remaining games this season.

“I certainly am,” he responded. “When it was introduced for the 2018 World Cup, I thought it was a good thing. Now, six or seven years on, I’m not so sure. I think it has stopped referees from refereeing properly, which was perhaps a natural progression over time.

“I had a small monitor to the side of me that Gavin Strachan controls, so I’m often listening to his take on certain situations. He thought their equalising goal was pretty contentious, and being biased, I agree with him.

“Whatever VAR comes up with is what happen. It worked for us in one aspect (for Maeda’s opener) and didn’t in another. I’d probably have a different opinion if we had lost the game.”

Discussing his side’s latest scrappy success, the 74-year-old added: “We missed some good early chances, but then we got the goal and the opposition had a player sent off, which shifted things in our favour. Interestingly, I thought we played better when they had 11 men than when they had 10. We saw last week how Hibs fought strongly with only nine men, so I knew it would be a challenge.

“It would have been nice to get as third goal for comfort, but I’m delighted to have won a nervy ending to a game were we might have been our own worst enemies.”