Hagen eases Hearts away from trap-door 'Survival' the name of the game as Celtic are shut out

IAN PAUL

20 Apr 1995

Celtic 0, Hearts 1

THEY would not have had the cheek to sing in the bus along the M8, would they? Hearts stole off into the night with the three points which will surely guarantee their place in the premier division.

Good luck to them.

They probably were about due it, but even their manager admitted they produced "survival" football -- not a pretty sight, but effective.

They had been quite content for most of the night at Hampden to sit tight and let Celtic do all the serious attacking, but when they got what was only their second real scoring chance of the evening four minutes from time they took it willingly.

David Hagen was the man who seized upon a Peter Grant error to beat the keeper, something Celtic had not been able to do with umpteen opportunities.

Admittedly, they had come up against an inspired keeper in Craig Nelson, but that was no excuse for what was in the main sloppy finishing.

Hearts defended stoutly and worked tirelessly, none more so than veteran Jim Bett, but even they must have been amazed to escape with a victory.

Their few fans in the smallest attendance of the season at a Celtic home game, 18,638, enjoyed that finale which lifts their team to 40 points, where they would seem certain to be safe.

Celtic manager, Tommy Burns, was deeply disappointed at the result.

"There is no way we deserved to lose.

It has got to be very difficult when both sets of players play in the same half, but that is football."

His rival, Tommy McLean, was almost apologetic in his remarks."Our players worked hard to nullify Celtic, because that's what has to be done in this league.

We have had our say about it in the past and I believe we are going down the wrong route."

Hearts were lucky to survive midway through the first half when a Collins cross was well headed by Phil O'Donnell but, just as it looked sure to go in at the post, Nelson stretched out a hand and diverted it away from goal.

Willie Falconer hit the rebound, but Jamieson was there to block the ball and send it for a corner.

Nelson, who had a string of fine saves from Falconer, Walker and O'Donnell, completed a fine first half with another good stop from the head of Falconer.

A ferocious free kick by Rudi Vata was the next attempt, but it was parried away for a corner.

Walker then tried an ambitious shot from long range which was easily collected by the goalie before the striker was replaced by Simon Donnelly in 66 minutes.

Brian O'Neil, who signed his new three-year contract earlier in the day, was the only man booked, when he lunged at Hagen during one of the few Hearts attacks.

The Hearts coup de grace came after a mistake by Grant let Hagen through.

He took a couple of strides and then hit the ball out of Bonner's reach.

CELTIC -- Bonner, Vata, Boyd, O'Neil, Mowbray, Grant, McLaughlin, O'Donnell, Falconer, Walker, Collins.

Substitutes -- Donnelly, Marshall, Gray.

HEARTS -- Nelson, Wishart, Miller, Levein, Jamieson, Berry, Hamilton, Bett, Cramb, Mackay, Hagen.

Substitutes -- Colquhoun, Smith, Locke.

Referee -- W Clark (Paisley).

Taken from the Herald