Derek Riordan gave the much-changed visitors the lead against the run of play in the 56th minute when he fired past Hibs keeper Andrew McNeil from what looked like an impossible angle.

But four minutes later Brown - who signed a five-year deal with Celtic last week - headed home a Dean Shiels cross to restore parity.

Then, in the dying seconds, substitute Ivan Sproule scored a last-gasp winner, breaching the Hoops defence to round Celtic's debut goalkeeper Mark Brown and knock the ball past Stephen McManus on the line.

It was an unlikely but deserved victory for the Edinburgh side who dominated for large spells, thanks to Scott Brown, and who played the neater football.

Despite having pledged his future to the visitors, Brown was given a rousing reception from the home fans - and indeed the Celtic supporters - as he raced all over the pitch in the early stages obviously looking to impress.

However, after just six minutes and from only eight yards out, Brown failed to make contact with a fine David Murphy cross from the left letting Celtic's fragile-looking defence off the hook.

Hibs racked up the corners as they pressed for the opener but despite having a disjointed look about them, the Parkhead defence remained solid.

However, in the 16th minute Theodore Bjarnason, making his first appearance for Celtic, fired in a drive from distance which Hibs keeper McNeil, unemployed until that point, did well to tip over for a corner.

Hibs were more pleasing on the eye as they zipped the ball around the Easter Road pitch but Celtic keeper Brown was not really tested until the 31st minute when he had to move sharply to push Merouane Zemmama's 30-yard drive past his right-hand post for yet another corner.

Celtic, with a trio of towering defenders, again defended the set-piece with relative ease and although the Leith side continued to dominate, the end product remained elusive.

The Parkhead side offered little in attack but in the 41st minute, with too many Hibs players attacking, striker Craig Beattie latched on to a Thomas Gravesen pass.

Beattie could not quite shrug off the attention of Chris Hogg before toe-poking his shot from just inside the Hibs penalty area over the crossbar.

Seconds later, Celtic's Gary Caldwell, booked earlier in the game, was lucky to escape a second yellow when he fouled Brown, referee Iain Brines showing some end-of-season leniency.

Just after the break Beattie had the ball in the Hibs net after taking a Gravesen pass but was ruled offside.

Hibs regained control of the game but in the 56th minute the visitors took the lead with a remarkable Riordan goal.

After Beattie had been fouled wide on the halfway line, Caldwell fired the free-kick down the left-hand side for the chasing ex-Hibs player who was pursued by Hogg.

It looked like a corner would be the best Riordan could hope for but when he fired the ball towards goal from the tightest of angles, it somehow managed to beat McNeil and finish up in the far corner of the net.

Riordan was booked for his celebrations but Celtic suffered more four minutes later when Brown equalised.

Shiels' cross from the right deflected off Celtic captain McManus's head and the on-rushing Brown buried a flying header from 12 yards past his namesake in the Celtic goal.

The game calmed down after a brief flurry of activity but there was still plenty of entertainment as both sides played like teams free from the worry of league placings.

Brown was clearly relishing his last game as a Hibs player, directing play from the middle of the park.

In the 88th minute Zemmama took a cut back from Sproule but when a goal seemed certain he somehow blasted the ball over the bar from just six yards out.

But there was one last twist as the game appeared to be petering out.

Sproule, finding space on the right again, broke through the defence to score a dramatic winner, rounding Celtic's Brown and firing through McManus' legs.