| Match Pictures | Matches: 1997 – 1998 | 1997-1998 Pictures |
Trivia
- Following the Aberdeen game it emerged that Wim Jansen had a get-out clause in his contract which would allow him to leave after one season. This clause worked both ways in that the club could get rid of Jansen after a season without recompense. Jansen had signed a 3 year deal when he took the Head Coach’s position but the details of the escape clause now emerged. Both Jansen and Murdo MacLeod were said to be annoyed that there contracts would not be re-negotiated considering the progress that had been made. Jock Brown issued a statement basically saying that ‘everything was glorious in the garden’ and that furthermore Jansen and MacLeod had not expressed any dissatisfaction at any time with their contracts.
- Tommy Burns resigned from his position as first team coach at Newcastle to return to management with English first division Reading. He immediately signed Kilmarnock forward Jim McIntyre for £420,000, Norwich City striker Robert Fleck for £60,000, Motherwell keeper Scott Howie for £30,000, and Celtic midfielder Stuart Gray for £100,000.
- There was a midweek international prior to this game and many of the team played for their respective international sides.
- Jackie McNamara was doubtful for the game having aggravated a knee injury but ended up making it. Annoni was out with a throat infection. Burley and Lambert were carrying hamstring and ankle injuries. Stubbs was back in after his groin strain.
- Mahe was carried off injured and will miss rest of season.
Review
A midfield stalemate and a lucky escape where the Hoops never really got going This left it as tight as ever at the top of the league headed towards the end of the season. A goal-less draw did neither Celtic nor Hearts any favours and helped Rangers. Mahe was stretchered off with a bad knee injury after an accidental clash with Jim Hamilton, which would keep him out for the rest of the season.
Teams
Celtic:
Gould , Boyd , Mahe, (Hannah ,73 ), McNamara (Donnelly ,58 ), Rieper , Stubbs , Larsson , Burley , Brattbakk (Jackson ,65 ), Lambert, Wieghorst
Hearts:
Rousset, Murray, Naysmith, Weir, Salvatori, Ritchie, McCann, Fulton, Adam (Flogel ,83 ), Cameron, Hamilton
Subs not used: McPherson, Quitongo,
Bookings: Boyd, Rieper, Stubbs (Celtic)
Referee: R Tait ( )
Attendance: 50038
Articles
- Match Report (see below)
Pictures
Stats
| Celtic | Hearts | |
| Bookings | 3 | 0 |
| Fouls | 13 | 11 |
| Shots on Target | 4 | 2 |
| Corners | 9 | 11 |
| Offside | 2 | 2 |
Weary Celtic marooned
Scotland on Sunday 29/03/1998
Celtic 0 Heart of Midlothian 0
IT was Rangers' day at Parkhead, whatever Celtic and Hearts might wish to contrive. Celtic were doggedly checked by Hearts from streaking to a five-point lead in the Premier Division but their Old Firm rivals' victory in Fife means the three clubs are bunched as if chained together once more at the top. The massive fever of the home support at Parkhead soon subsided at realising their team was not at all better off.
Within the confines of Glasgow, the delight belonged to Hearts, whose animated bench leapt around and clenched their fists at the final whistle. It may be true that Celtic finished the stronger, and asserted a minor pounding of Hearts' goal in the dying minutes, but this would be to dismiss large chapters of play when the visitors enjoyed their own authority. It has taken Hearts all season long to cleanse themselves of inferiority before the Old Firm, but they're finally managing it.
As well as Celtic dropping home points, they also lost Stephane Mahe to a nasty injury in the second half. Ironically, it was Mahe's departure on a stretcher, Tom Boyd's switch to the left flank, and the subsequent introduction of Simon Donnelly which finally ignited the home team. Donnelly bridled past Gary Naysmith and blasted a shot which Gilles Rousset blocked, a chance which, coming in the 90th minute, and being Rousset's first stop, reminded us of how much quality there had been in Hearts' play.
The Edinburgh club had many fine performers from those put together inexpensively by Jim Jefferies, but none more assured than David Weir, a composed defender. This player's willingness to bring high balls down, lend peace to the play, and look up to commence Hearts' counter-attacks, had much to do with the amount of possession his side savoured.
So Hearts, undefeated now in the league since December 20, continued to soldier on in an increasingly dynamic title race. Their manager, still suffering his rickety back, was basking in pleasure afterwards. "No one can count us out of it now," said Jefferies. "We've been willing to learn things playing against the Old Firm this season. At Ibrox recently we had victory stolen from us at the death and now we come here and play like this. We deserved what we took from the game today."
These are more teething times around Celtic. Wim Jansen, a man who has suddenly wandered into a blizzard of newspaper speculation and suspicion, withstood a further barrage of questions at the after-match press conference. Batting away interrogation about his future, Celtic's coach criticised his side for "not passing the ball enough".
If Jansen is to depart Celtic, he showed no signs of being disengaged here. At different stages of the match, his assistant, Murdo MacLeod, felt moved to place himself between Jansen and the stand-side linesman, so angered was the Dutchman at some of the refereeing decisions. It certainly wasn't a game to calm either club's pulse rate, and in truth, it was simply a symptom of the way Hearts were harassing and hurrying Celtic.
For some reason, for instance, the home side suffered fear and trepidation at numerous Hearts corners, the recurring image from which was poor Jonathan Gould scrambling around for a ball which Neil McCann or Colin Cameron had licked over. Cameron, in particular, simply revelled in this match, darting around a midfield in which Hearts were a man inferior.
With Jim Hamilton pulling Celtic one way and Stephane Adam yanking them the other, Celtic occasionally were yawning right through the centre of their defence. This space could have been exploited more through Marc Rieper's man-marking job on Hamilton, which meant the tall Dane went for many a rangey walk, even right out towards the touchline.
There were moments, especially in the first half, when this Celtic fragility was exposed. Adam bolted clear, crossed, and forced Paul Lambert to shank over his own bar, and Steve Fulton and Weir both had their moments within sight of Gould.
The vast crowd railed at Celtic to haul themselves forward, but too often, at least in front of goal, this was too great a request. Harald Brattbakk, a prolific scorer who can still have shambling control of the ball, could rarely lever himself free, to the point where, after more than an hour of play, the best Celtic could muster was a half-chance squandered by Larsson. When Darren Jackson came on for Brattbakk after 65 minutes, it was the least of the day's surprises.
Hearts' penetrating of Celtic's defence was the root of a flare-up in the 60th minute when McCann, scampering through, was deemed to be the victim of a barge by Stubbs. The big defender pleaded his case to Bobby Tait, the referee, though still got booked, while behind the pair of them, Burley and Fulton led the argy-bargy among the players.
When all that pushing and shoving developed, it was clear this was a game brimming with frustration. On top of Scotland's midweek fixture with Denmark, it now seems this type of midfield warfare is all the rage.
- Manager Interview
"A draw was maybe a fair result as it was a very close game with not a lot of goal chances.
"So we have to accept the draw though we did have one good opportunity right at the end when their keeper made a good save from Simon Donnelly's shot.
Tiredness played it's part though, as some of our players were suffering in that respect.
"The main thing now is that they have a couple of days rest before the cup game on Sunday.
"Our passing game was missing but I can't complain about the input from the players.
"They gave everything but we just have to accept that there were tired legs out there."