Whittaker scores

By FOS Editor
January 15 2011

Celtic kept the pressure on Rangers at the top of the table with an emphatic win at Easter Rd while the Champions hammered Hamilton at home.

Celtic were first up and they set the mark for the day with an emphatic win against a hapless Hibs side who are sliding into the relegation fight.

A goal just before the break from Hooper gave the Hoops the lead when he was sent clear to slide the ball under Mark Brown, only moments after the keeper had denied him.

In the second half Hibs were demolished and Stokes added two more, the first with a penalty and then a spectacular overhead kick. Although it has to be said the Hibs defence didn’t make it too hard for them to make the breakthroughs.

Rangers responded by putting four past bottom of the table Hamilton, although the Lanarkshire side were missing a large number of first team starters.

Rangers winger Vladimir Weiss was in entertaining form, the Slovak firing the home side ahead in 25 minutes then being scythed down for a penalty. Steven Whittaker confidently scored from the spot before Weiss added a third from a free-kick.

Maurice Edu scored Rangers' fourth, shooting past helpless Tomas Cerny.

Elsewhere Craig Brown continued his early improvement at Aberdeen as they saw off St. Mirren 2-0 thanks to two goals from Scott Vernon. Kilmarnock and St Johnstone drew as did Motherwell and Inverness.

The Dundee United v Hearts game was called off due to a waterlogged pitch.

The results this afternoon leaves things tight at the top and at the bottom leaves Hibs, St. Mirren and Hamilton becoming a bit detached from the rest.