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Trivia
- A new round of to-ing-and-fro-ing started between Celtic and Leicester for the services of Neil Lennon. His agent said that Celtic had made a bid for him. Peter Taylor of Leicester said that this was complete nonsense. Lennon said he didn’t want to be paid more than Larsson (Larsson was said to be on £28k/wk whilst Lennon’s new deal at Leicester gave him £32k/wk).
- Martin O’Neill stated that he had not given up hope of persuading Lubo Moravcik not to retire at the end of the season and to accept another 1 year contract. Dr Jo Venglos, in town for a FIFA conference, also urged Lubo to play on till he could play no more.
- Alan Stubbs was diagnosed with a return of the testicular cancer he had thought to have beaten. Tests confirmed a recurrence of the cancer and he immediately underwent chemotherapy at the Beatson Oncology Unit in Glasgow. He returned after treatment to wish the guys luck in the dressing room pre-match.
- Eyal Berkovic appeared to have sealed his fate at Celtic by giving an interview to the Israeli Press in which he condemned the club and manager and any idea of player loyalty to a club. He refused to think about a loan anywhere and would not move for less wages than he was currently on at Celtic.
- Stewart Kerr was linked to a move to Cardiff City. He had been pushed down to No 3 in the goalkeepers with the arrival of Rab Douglas.
- Jim Jeffries had not long been ousted by the Hearts board and Peter Houston was caretaker manager.
- With this win Celtic created a record run of 23 games without loss in the SPL.
Review
A thrilling game which showed how far we had come. Though Hearts scored first, the Bhoys took control of the game and after Valgaeren equalised, and the Edinburgh side were never in it for the rest of the game. This time it was ‘Six-past-Niemmi’. Both Agathe and Petta on the wings had exceptional games.
Teams
Celtic
Douglas, Boyd, Valgaeren, Mjallby (Tebily 83), Agathe, Petrov, Thompson, Moravcik (McNamara 75), Petta, Larsson, Sutton (Johnson 73).
Subs Not Used: Gould, Healy.
Goals: Valgaeren 15, Moravcik 36, Larsson 39, Mjallby 44, Larsson 81, Petrov 82.
Hearts
Niemi, Murray, Pressley, Petric, Neilson (Flogel 67), Severin, Locke (Durie 46), Cameron, Fulton, Juanjo (McSwegan 46), Kirk.
Subs Not Used: McKenzie, Tomaschek.
Goals: Cameron 13.
Booked: Locke, Neilson, McSwegan, Durie.
Attendance: 59,813
Ref: S Dougal (Scotland).
Articles
- Match Report (see below)
Pictures
Stats
| Celtic | Hearts | |
| Bookings | 0 | 4 |
| Red Cards | 0 | 0 |
| Fouls | 8 | 19 |
| Shots on Target | 15 | 4 |
| Corners | 6 | 5 |
| Offside | 1 | 2 |
Game over?
Sunday Herald 19/11/2000
Michael Grant;
CELTIC 6 – HEARTS 1.
Referee S Dougall,
Attendance 59, 831.
At Celtic Park.
IF the fantasy football specialist who applied for the Hearts job had been here yesterday, he could have made sure the plug was pulled after 13 minutes' play. At that stage the managerless club was a goal ahead and infused with enthusiasm. Instead a "game over" message flashed all over Parkhead even before half-time.
Other than the chancer who won the Champions League on his computer game, there have been 20 genuine applications to replace Jim Jefferies at Tynecastle.
Any SPL club might have suffered as Hearts did yesterday, but the result was hardly one to make the position more attractive to high-profile candidates such as Peter Beardsley. "I have to be honest and say Celtic absolutely murdered us, especially in the first half," said caretaker manager Peter Houston. He need not feel too dispirited. Even under Jefferies, Hearts conceded nine goals against Celtic in two games earlier this season.
Parkhead might have been in sombre mood in the aftermath of Alan Stubbs' cancer diagnosis, but it transpired that the club were in no mood to be mournful. Stubbs delighted his teammates by un-expectedly coming in to the dressing room before kick-off. "It was great to see him," said Martin O'Neill. "His presence was enough."
The victory, Celtic's biggest domestic win this season, sent them eight points clear of second-placed Hibs and 15 ahead of Rangers, who drew 0-0 at Dunfermline and who are next Sunday's opponents in the Old Firm game at Ibrox.
Normally the revelation that Chris Sutton may miss the match would cause consternation – his toe was pierced by a Hearts player's stud and he had an X-ray last night – but Celtic are entitled to relax. The striker is a concern for the match, but a team who are clear over the horizon ought to manage without him.
Celtic were so comfortable against Hearts that even defender Olivier Tebily enjoyed a late run-out, his first for two months.
"The first 45 minutes was as good a performance as I have seen from any football side for a long, long time," said O'Neill. "When you haven't scored early on and then Hearts do, it knocks you back. But the confidence was high today."
Celtic's play was uncluttered, their passing smooth. Nineteen attempts on target was testimony to their domination. Their midfield was in commanding mood, while Bobby Petta and, particularly, Didier Agathe added torment from the wings.
"Agathe has been fantastic for us," said O'Neill. "And Petta, with restored confidence, is a major, major threat."
It was the Dutchman who created Celtic's first, oddly enough an equaliser after Colin Cameron's opener, when he cut inside on the left and rolled a pass for Joos Valgaeren to bend a shot into the top corner of Antti Niemi's net. The Finnish goalkeeper deserved better than six of the best yesterday.
The save he produced to stop Johan Mjallby's header is unlikely to be bettered this season. The defender was eight yards from goal and met the ball firmly, but Niemi dived full-length to his left and scooped the ball past when a goal seemed certain. The save was more impressive, still, as it followed another he had made at the side of his goal earlier to prevent a Henrik Larsson header from an Alan Thompson cross. "Niemi is an international-class goal-keeper who did his job well," said Houston. "So you have to ask, where were the players around him?"
Celtic went 20 minutes without a goal, then claimed three in eight devas-tating minutes. From another Thompson delivery, a free-kick wide on the right, Gary Locke's clearing header was poor and dropped only for Lubo Moravcik to take a sidestep to the left and curl a low shot inside the post with craftsman's precision.
Agathe's rangy running mesmerised Steve Fulton and Grant Murray on the Hearts left, but it was not until the pass which created Celtic's third that his play became truly hurtful. His low, firm ball down the inside-right channel was perfect for Larsson, whose first shot was parried by Niemi only to bounce back for the Swede to bury the rebound. Then, from a short corner with Petta, Moravcik sent over a cross for Mjallby to score with a close-range header.
Celtic eased up, slowly strangling Hearts, although to Houston's credit his side's defence recovered a little shape and composure for the second half until the two late goals which nudged the win towards a rout.
Jackie McNamara, who had just come off the bench, played a through ball for Tommy Johnson, another substitute, who in turn found Larsson placed to score with a shot which trundled over the line despite Niemi's firm contact. The final goal arrived a minute later when Agathe eluded Gordan Petric and cut the ball back for Petrov to score high into the net.
Cameron's opener had been a wonderful moment for Hearts. Fulton had won possession, but Scott Severin injected momentum and exchanged passes with Cameron, playing the team's best performer into space 22 yards out to sweep a deft, high right-foot shot in at the top-right corner.
Cameron had taken Mjallby and Valgaeren out of the game with a single touch when he brought down Juanjo's cross only to let himself down with a shot straight at Douglas. It was Hearts' best other chance of the game, but only half-an-hour had gone and the day disintegrated thereafter.
By full-time the stands echoed to loud jeering of Gordon Durie, the day's pantomime villain. The former Rangers man was guilty of two awful tackles on Petrov which incensed around 58,000. Those fans, though, also found time to chant "bring on the Rangers". Having scored six for only the second time in a domestic game, they were in the mood for another crack at the Ibrox outfit.
- Manager Interview
"I thought our performance in the first half was as good as I've seen from any football team in a long time.
"Agathe was fantastic and Petta always a major threat. The confidence was high as Joos' goal proved – what a strike, he must be taking lessons from Lubo!
"We didn't want the half time whistle to come."
"Regardless of our excellence today, we need to strengthen. The players appreciate that – the majority of the players do anyway…"
Celtic 6 Hearts 1 By Chris Roberts, PA Sport
Celtic gave luckless defender Alan Stubbs the good luck present he requested while sending out a chilling warning to their title rivals with a deadly display to sink the Edinburgh outfit.
Following a week of sadness at the club – in which Stubbs discovered the cancer he thought he had beaten had returned – his team-mates could have been forgiven for having their minds on matters elsewhere.
But the players did not disappoint him despite going down to Colin Cameron's early opener.
Instead, in true championship fashion Celtic came back with spirit, determination and flamboyance to leave managerless Hearts reeling with goals from Joos Valgaeren, Lubo Moravcik, two from Henrik Larsson, Johan Mjallby and Stilian Petrov.
The victory sent out an ominous message to their title rivals and in particular their Glasgow neighbours, who they meet next week in a do-or-die clash for the Ibrox outfit.
Celtic show no signs of relenting and started confidently with Petrov going close in the fifth minute.
The Bulgarian burst through a crowded penalty box before hitting a fierce strike that the impressive Hearts goalkeeper Antti Niemi did well to save.
This was always going to a busy afternoon for the visiting keeper and he again had to make a good save in the 12th minute to save Moravcik's long-range effort.
Hearts, however, stunned the home crowd into silence in the 13th minute with their first attack of the game.
Scotland star Cameron latched on to a poor clearance just outside the Celtic area before curling a great shot past Robert Douglas' despairing dive.
But it took just three minutes for the home side to hit back.
Bobby Petta teed the ball into the path of defender Valgaeren on the edge of the area and the Belgian international curled a superb right-foot shot into the top corner of the net.
That was just what the home side deserved and Hearts then had Niemi to thank for staying on level terms with two world-class saves in the space of a minute.
First Larsson got on the end of Thompson's in-swinging free-kick in the 24th minute but Niemi produced an acrobatic save to push the striker's header over his crossbar.
But the Finnish international's next save was even better as Petta found Sutton in the box and the striker's header looked destined for the corner but Niemi somehow stretched enough to claw away the effort.
Hearts were finding it difficult to get out of the own half but they gave the home side another fright in the 33rd.
Juanjo chipped the ball into the feet of Cameron, who fired on target from eight yards but somehow Douglas pushed the ball over the crossbar.
That was the wake up call Celtic needed and three minutes later they were in front.
Steven Pressley headed out Thompson's free-kick to Moravcik, who took it in his stride before cooly slotting the ball home into the corner for his third goal in three games.
Celtic were in command and just three minutes later they had doubled their advantage when Niemi saved Larsson's first effort from close range, but the Swede followed up to fired home the rebound.
But the game was over just a minute before the break when Mjallby rose above everybody else in the box to power home Moravcik's corner.
In the final minute of the half Hearts' frustrations boiled over as Gary Locke was booked for a bad tackle on Larsson and it was only a matter of how many goals the home side would score after the break.
Agathe again showed a tremendous turn of pace in the 57th minute which almost brought Celtic's fifth goal.
The Frenchman left Murray and Steve Fulton in his wake on the touchline and tried to drill home his effort, but Gordan Petric made a vital block to deny him.
Agathe again went close in the 63rd minute when he came in at the far post to meet Moravcik's corner but his effort bounced agonisingly over the bar.
Celtic began to take their foot off the pedal and manager O'Neill was forced to bring off the injured Chris Sutton in the 73rd minute as Tommy Johnson entered the fray.
Moments later and the in-form Moravcik went off to a standing ovation with manager taking the opportunity to rest the veteran Slovakian and in his place came Jackie McNamara.
McNamara and Johnson were instantly involved and played a major part in Larsson's second goal when they linked up to put the Swede through on goal and he obliged to fire past Niemi.
Celtic completed the rout a minute later when Agathe skipped away from the challenge of Murray and cut the ball back from the by-line for Petrov to fire home from close range.
Stubbs would have been a happier man in the crowd as he continues his fight against the disease, as Celtic continue to look a side of champions.
Celtic Douglas, Boyd, Valgaeren, Mjallby (Tebily 83), Agathe, Petrov, Thompson, Moravcik (McNamara 75), Petta, Larsson, Sutton (Johnson 73).
Subs Not Used: Gould, Healy.
Goals: Valgaeren 15, Moravcik 36, Larsson 39, Mjallby 44, Larsson 81, Petrov 82.
Hearts Niemi, Murray, Pressley, Petric, Neilson (Flogel 67), Severin, Locke (Durie 46), Cameron, Fulton, Juanjo (McSwegan 46), Kirk.
Subs Not Used: McKenzie, Tomaschek.
Booked: Locke, Neilson, McSwegan, Durie.
Goals: Cameron 13.
Att: 59,813
Ref: S Dougal (Scotland).