Hibernian's hopes of climbing the Scottish Premiership table took another blow as they fell 2-1 to Celtic, despite a spirited late rally. The defeat leaves David Gray's side six points behind fourth-placed Motherwell with an inferior goal difference—and only three games left to close the gap.

Speaking after the match, Gray didn't mince words about his team's recurring discipline issues. "It's like déjà vu going down to 10 men again," he admitted. "Celtic started fast, as you'd expect, but when you're a man down it makes everything so much harder. I can't defend the red card—there was no intent, but the contact was there and it's a straight red."

The manager, however, was most frustrated by the goals his side conceded. "Even with 10 men, those goals are avoidable. One comes from a set piece, and the other we had enough bodies in the box to deal with. It's nothing to do with being a man down—it's about concentration and execution."

Gray praised his team's character in the final minutes, noting they "had a real go" and created a big chance. "When you get those opportunities, you have to take them. We were right in it until the end, and that's what we need to build on."

With Motherwell dropping points recently, Gray knows the door was left ajar—but his side couldn't walk through it. "It's difficult because we missed an opportunity today. Now we're relying on them to drop points again, but while it's mathematically possible, we have to try. It'll probably take three wins now and hope other results go our way."

There's also the looming threat of Falkirk, who are hungry to leapfrog Hibernian in the standings. "They'll be thinking the same thing, trying to catch us," Gray acknowledged. "We've got a tough game next weekend, and after a poor showing there last time, we definitely want to atone for that."

For a team fighting for every point, the message from the manager is clear: keep pushing, take your chances, and don't let the door close again.