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Hartson proves big hit
BBC
Glenn Gibbons at Celtic Park
The Observer, Sunday 2 December 2001 01.26 GMT
Had he been empowered to do so, referee Willie Young could have declared this a no-contest from the moment John Hartson delivered the first of his two goals. Instead, the official went through the same perfunctory exercise as the rest of us, watching Celtic routinely dismantle the latest team to venture to Celtic Park.
The most enthralling elements were undeniably the goals, Hartson and Neil Lennon giving an exhibition in how to make a spectacle out of an opposing team's misery.
Whatever else may be said of Hartson, he seems to demonstrate conclusively that lack of athletic co- ordination and genuine pace need be no hindrance to scoring goals. His goals on this occasion were perfectly executed, with no need for the kind of sweet movement or light-footedness that often preface those of his striking partner Henrik Larsson.
With Chris Sutton return ing to the team as a central defender, the big Welshman wasted little time in confirming the long-held view that he is something of an enigma, scoring beautifully as well as missing the seemingly unmissable along the way.
The goal with which he gave the champions their early lead was extremely well-worked. Mohammed Sylla took a throw-in on the right to Paul Lambert. The midfield player's cross was impeccably placed and weighted, allowing Hartson, stationed on the six-yard line, to loop his header high and to the left of Tony Caig in the Hibernian goal.
What Hartson did next would have been unforgiveable had it not been for the fact that he had already scored and looked likely to repeat the feat. A marvellous move involving Bobby Petta, Lennon and Larsson on the left flank ended with the Swede's incisive through-pass, leaving Hartson unchallenged and looking at Caig.
From 12 yards, the striker shot right-footed low to the right of the goalkeeper and against the outside of a post. It was a dreadful miss, but, for the majority of the crowd, the memory of it would be obliterated by Hartson's terrific second goal.
Lennon supplied Johan Mjallby on the right and the big defender played the ball forward to Hartson, who turned away from the challenge of Ian Murray and headed towards the penalty area. As Larsson made a run into space in anticipation of the pass – wrong-footing the Hibernian defence in the process – Hartson simply chipped Caig from the 18-yard line and the ball floated into the net.
In an attempt at precluding numerical inferiority in midfield, Alex McLeish, the Hibernian manager, had departed from his normal four-man defence and matched up to Celtic's 3-5-2 formation, but it was not until the second half, with the match already beyond them, that his team enjoyed any kind of equality with their illustrious hosts.
It was, too, a fleeting reward, soon taken away by the industrious trio of Lennon, Lambert and Stilian Petrov. Lennon once again was extraordinarily imposing for a small man and it was not merely for his marvellous goal, Celtic's third, that he was accorded an ovation when he was replaced by Shaun Maloney after 77 minutes.
That strike by Lennon confirmed that Hibernian's hopes would not be resurrected. A clearance from the visiting team's defence came to Lennon on the right flank and he moved forward before playing the ball to Hartson. With his back to goal, the striker pushed a pass back to Lennon, who, from 20 yards and with the inside of his right foot, clipped the ball high to the right of Caig.
Apart from Tom McManus forcing Douglas to block at his feet, Hibernian were unable to offer a threat on a day when they appeared to accept that they play in a different – that is, lower – league from Celtic.