Teemu Pukki scored a great strikers goal to give Celtic full points against Hibs and maintain the champions unbeaten SPFL record.
The Finnish international stabbed home a 29th minute cross from Joe Ledley on a day as grim as the mood around Celtic Park.
Celtic failed to get close to the heights that they scaled away to Hearts and Motherwell as they started to restore confidence following their 6-1 defeat in Barcelona.
Although Inverness Caley Thistle are in second place it seems that Aberdeen and Dundee United are starting to get their act together and put together results fitting their stature in the new landscape of the Scottish game.
 Watch Pukki score v Hibs
Derek McInnes and Jackie McNamara both used the close season well to restructure their clubs bringing in the type of players they require and installing their brand of football on two clubs that had been drifting for far too long.
Importantly both teams are being backed at the turnstyles with supporters eager to watch their team knowing that they have a chance of success with the decades of financial doping from Ibrox no longer present.
McNamara’s United have been picking up most of the praise with exciting young talents emerging to make up for the loss of Johnny Russell and Jon Daly.
Watch Dundee United score 4 at Kilmarnock
With five wins in a row and a handful of goals to demonstrate the confidence of youth United are being watched closely by scouts from major clubs rather than the usual Championship clubs looking to pick players up on the cheap.
Aberdeen have a more experienced side but with former Celts Barry Robson and Niall McGinn hitting form hopes are high that the Dons can finish the season in their highest position for twenty years.
Watch St Mirren crumble away to Aberdeen