Hearts 1-2 Celtic

jonny68

Fcuk me that was close today :eek: super Beattie saved the day thank God,the auld nerves were shot to pieces when they equalised,we deserved the win though and next Sunday is what its all about..its very simple we HAVE TO BEAT Motherwell,the huns will win and we need to win a draw will do us no good..hopefully this time next week ill be celebrating



Hearts 1-2 Celtic

Three points against Motherwell next Sunday will be enough to clinch the SPL title for Celtic after a hard-fought win over Hearts at Tynecastle.

Alan Thompson put them ahead with a shot that deflected off Robbie Neilson on its way into the net.

Hearts levelled things with a Paul Hartley shot on the turn.

With just 13 minutes left sub Craig Beattie ran on to a Stilian Petrov pass to fire in the winner before Steven Pressley was sent off late on.

Hearts made a rousing start and could have been ahead inside the first couple of minutes.

Douglas allowed Joe Hamill's corner to slip from his grasp and John Hartson had to make a timely intervention to prevent Andy Webster from knocking the ball into an empty net.

Hartley then saw a shot deflected wide as Celtic's defence creaked, before Graeme Weir's shot from 25 yards was comfortably kept out by Douglas.

Hearts paid for their inability to finish chances after 25 minutes.

Neilson allowed Bellamy's cross from the right to slip under his foot and when the ball fell to Thompson, the midfielder's drive deflected off Neilson to leave Craig Gordon helpless.

Celtic were denied a second when Gordon came off his line smartly to foil Hartson after Bellamy had caused confusion in the Hearts area.

Weir passed up a tremendous opportunity to equalise when Webster's head flick found him unmarked in front of goal, but the striker headed straight into Douglas' arms.

Celtic came close to a second goal 11 minutes into the second half when Thompson's wicked delivery came off the head of Steven Pressley, but the ball flew just wide.

But Hearts drew level with 19 minutes remaining. Neilson made amends for his part in Celtic's opener by showing great determination to eventually get the ball through to Hartley, who swivelled to fire past Douglas.

Gordon pulled off a terrific save from Beattie's fierce drive to preserve Hearts' lead and from the resultant corner, Chris Sutton crashed a header off the underside of the bar.

But Celtic's pressure paid off when Beattie ran on to Petrov's pass to rifle a low shot past Gordon.

Pressley was ordered off in controversial circumstances in the final minute of normal time as he went down in the box under Beattie's challenge.

Referee Willie Young ruled he had dived and showed him a second yellow card.

Hearts: Gordon, Neilson, Pressley, Webster, Wallace, Mikoliunas (McGeown 72), MacFarlane (Simmons 72), Hartley, Hamill, Miller, Weir (Thorarinsson 81).

Subs Not Used: Moilanen, Wyness, Stewart, Sives.

Sent Off: Pressley (90).

Booked: Mikoliunas, Hartley, Pressley.

Goal: Hartley 71.

Celtic: Douglas, Agathe, Balde, Varga, McNamara, Petrov, Lennon, Sutton, Thompson, Bellamy, Hartson (Beattie 66).

Subs Not Used: Marshall, Valgaeren, Lambert, Laursen, Maloney, McGeady.

Booked: Sutton, Balde, Thompson, Bellamy.

Goals: Thompson 25, Beattie 77.

Att: 15,927

Ref: W Young

A Dub in Glasgo

Excellent atmosphere as ever at Tynecastle. The contorted faces of the Hearts fans was a pleasure to see as Celtic got through a very tricky away game.

Don't think it was a peno at the end although I have seen them given as they say.#

As for next week, the Motherwell players will certainly be up for it to deny Celtic the title on their ground. The Hibs players will do the same with the added bonus of UEFA Cup football to play for. I just cannot see Celtic throwing this away now.

ziggy

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Badabing

Close game in the end but well deserved, i thought Neil Lennon was excellant but bbj looks very unfit or he just knackered after a long season, i'd play Beattie and Bellamy upfront against Motherwell with Petrov behind them when he plays through the middle he is unplayable.

eirebhoy

Jesus, I haven't cheered a Celtic goal as much as that for a long time. After conceding the goal and then hitting the crossbar I thought it was going to be one of those days. But fair play to Beattie, he changed the game against Aberdeen and scored the vital goal today.

ziggy67 wrote:

The penalty incident could have gone either way but it was hardly the stonewaller that Jock Brown & Hately were making it out to be on Setanta.

I can't stand that pair. I wish there was an option to turn the commentary off, I want to hear the crowd though.

'd play Beattie and Bellamy upfront against Motherwell with Petrov behind them when he plays through the middle he is unplayable.

I'd prefer Sutton-Bellamy up front and maybe even Beattie on the right. He likes to play out wide.

ziggy

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