CELTIC PRODUCED a rampant first-half performance as they moved within two points of Premiership leaders Rangers with a 3-1 victory over Hibernian at Easter Road.

The champions, meanwhile, fought back from 2-0 down but dropped a couple of points in a home 2-2 draw with Aberdeen.

Tony Ralston, Cameron Carter-Vickers and Kyogo Furuhashi all struck before the break for Celtic to earn Ange Postecoglou’s resurgent side a fifth consecutive win in all competitions.

Home manager Jack Ross made four changes to the side beaten at Aberdeen last weekend as Darren McGregor, Chris Cadden, Jamie Gullan and Lewis Stevenson dropped out and were replaced by Ryan Porteous, Alex Gogic, Jamie Murphy and Josh Doig.

Celtic made just one alteration from the side that beat St Johnstone on Saturday. Mikey Johnston came in for his first start of the season, with Georgios Giakoumakis dropping to the bench.

Ralston had the first effort of the match in the fourth minute but his low shot from 25 yards ran harmlessly wide of the Hibs goal.

The right-back fared better six minutes later, however, when he found space at the back post to nod in a David Turnbull free-kick from six yards.

Hibs almost responded two minutes later when Martin Boyle threaded a pass across goal for Joe Newell who was bursting in at the far post but the midfielder’s shot from close range was superbly saved by goalkeeper Joe Hart.

A minute later Celtic scored from another set-piece when Carter-Vickers got in front of Porteous to stab in Turnbull’s corner from 10 yards.

There should have been more reason for the visitors to celebrate in the 20th minute when Johnston dummied a pass by Jota into the path of Turnbull but the former Motherwell player blazed high and wide from a great position just inside the box.

Celtic were well on top and the third goal arrived on the half-hour when, after good work by Tom Rogic, the ball broke to Jota wide on the right and the Portuguese squared for Kyogo to tap in from close range.

Hibs were in disarray and Matt Macey had to make a brilliant save to stop Kyogo netting again after the Japanese got in behind.

The hosts pulled one back against the run of play in the 36th minute when Newell’s corner was nodded in, with both Boyle and Porteous claiming they had got the final touch.

Celtic suffered a blow just before the break when Rogic was forced off by injury and replaced by Nir Bitton.

Hibs spent much of the second half probing to try and find another goal but the closest they came was in the 75th minute when Jamie Murphy got in behind and was denied by a brilliant save from Hart.

Rangers battled back from 2-0 down but saw their lead atop the league cut to two points on a difficult week for the club.

still reeling from the death of former manager Walter Smith on Tuesday, it was an emotionally-charged stadium which witnessed the visitors race into a two-goal lead after 15 minutes through headers by striker Christian Ramirez and former Celtic captain Scott Brown.

The shell-shocked champions reduced the deficit with an Alfredo Morelos header in the 20th minute and levelled with 10 minutes to go through a James Tavernier penalty but had to settle for a point.

Steven Gerrard’s side remain on 24 points with Celtic now sitting on 22 following their 3-1 win over Hibernian. Hearts and Dundee United are a point further behind.

It was a tremendous effort from the Dons, who had stopped the rot of 10 successive matches without a victory with a 1-0 home win over Hibernian on Saturday, while Rangers remain hot and cold.

There was a perfectly-observed minute’s silence before the match to commemorate Smith before a frantic and exhilarating first half unfolded.

The home fans were stunned when Aberdeen midfielder Dean Campbell, back in the side along with Dylan McGeouch and Jonny Hayes, played in Ryan Hedges who stood the ball up for Ramirez to head in from six yards.

There was more drama six minutes later when Dons captain Brown, whose every touch was booed, produced a stunning diving header from a McGeouch corner to make it 2-0 and he revelled in his celebration.

The Light Blues were in total disarray.

The much-needed lifeline for Rangers came when Morelos rose in a packed penalty area to nod in a free-kick from captain Tavernier.

As pressure on the Dons increased, defender David Bates blocked a goal-bound drive from Gers centre-back Connor Goldson.

From another corner in the 34th minute, Goldson and John Lundstram had efforts repelled by sheer numbers around the six-yard box and just before the break Joe Lewis brilliantly saved Goldson’s bullet header from a Tavernier corner.

Rangers tried to force the issue at the start of the second half but it was laboured rather than inspired.

Scott Arfield replaced Lundstram on the hour mark with Marley Watkins on for Ramirez before Scott Wright and Fashion Sakala came on to try to help Rangers rescue at least a point.

The frustrated home fans roared with 10 minutes remaining when referee John Beaton pointed to the penalty spot after Bates fouled Sakala and Tavernier fired the ball past Lewis to set up a barnstorming finale, but that was as much as Rangers were getting.