| Match Pictures | Matches: 2004 – 2005 | 2008-2009 Pictures |
Trivia
- Future Celt, Steven Pressley, was sent off in the last minute for diving in the box, and trying to win his team a controversial penalty.
Paul Hartley was also in their line up.
Review
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.
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.
Celtic's pressure paid off when Beattie ran on to Petrov's pass to rifle a low shot past Gordon.
Pressley was ordered off the final minute of the game 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.
Teams
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.
Goal:- Hartley 71.
Sent Off:- Pressley (90).
Booked:- Mikoliunas, Hartley, Pressley.
Celtic:-
Douglas, Agathe, Balde, Varga, McNamara, Petrov, Lennon, Sutton, Thompson, Bellamy, Hartson (Beattie 66).
Subs not used:- Marshall, Valgaeren, Lambert, Laursen, Maloney, McGeady.
Goals:- Thompson 25, Beattie 77.
Booked:- Sutton, Balde, Thompson, Bellamy.
Att:- 15,927
Ref:- W Young.
Articles
- Match Report (see end of page below)
Pictures
Articles
Hearts 1-2 Celtic
BBC
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
O'Neill relieved by crucial win
Celtic manager Martin O'Neill
Hearts 1-2 Celtic
Celtic manager Martin O'Neill described his side's narrow win over Hearts as "heart-stopping stuff" as they moved back to the top of the SPL.
"It's always hard here and we knew today would be no different," he said.
"We scored against the run of play and I always felt Hearts were capable of scoring, but I also thought we could score again.
"We still have to win another game and beating Motherwell won't be easy, but it's still in our hands."
Hearts captain Steven Pressley said he had "no complaints" with referee Willie Young's decision to send him off for diving in the defeat by Celtic.
"I'd been booked and in Willie's eyes it was a dive and he gave me a second yellow," said Pressley.
"If that's how he sees it, I've no complaints," added the skipper, who had also helped pick the team at the currently manager-less club.
"It was a terrific performance and I'm disappointed not to take anything."
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