HARTLEY EAGERLY AWAITS CELTIC TEST

Hearts star Paul Hartley claims everybody is expecting their unbeaten start to the Bank of Scotland Premier League season to come to an end at Celtic Park on Saturday.

The midfielder believes they are the team everybody wants to beat having started the league campaign with eight straight wins before a draw at Falkirk a fortnight ago.

Hartley said: "We're there to be shot at and everyone is expecting us to slip up again on Saturday."

The 28-year-old, who was a target for departed Celtic manager Martin O'Neill, scored a wonder strike in Scotland's impressive 3-0 victory in Slovenia on Wednesday.

Hearts will be without international goalkeeper Craig Gordon through suspension having been sent off at Falkirk.

But Hartley believes himself, skipper Steven Pressley and Andy Webster are on a high after the midweek success.

He is convinced his Scotland team-mates can transfer the success in Slovenia back into their club form and prolong their unbeaten start to the league campaign.

Hartley added: "I'm feeling that I'm playing well but there is still hopefully a lot more to come.

"We have a big game on Saturday against Celtic and I'm looking forward to that.

"Hopefully this win was a perfect preparation.

"We had four Hearts players in the Scotland team which is great and that will hopefully set us up for Saturday.

"I don't feel fatigue. It's not a problem and I feel as fit as ever. We do a lot of fitness work at Hearts and I'm really looking forward to the game on Saturday.

"It'll be another tough game, especially on a big pitch.

"The big games keep coming but it's nice to play in them, especially the way we are playing just now at Hearts."

Celtic manager Gordon Strachan predicts there will be much bigger games throughout the season than this weekend's clash.

The Scot is refusing to get caught up in the pre-match hype he believes is being generated by an excitable media.

He said: "There will be a lot more bigger games that will be beneficial to everybody, especially the press.

"You build it up but there will be even more bigger games. This is one of many in the season.

"You don't realise how big the games are until the end of the season.

"It would be a great result for us but it won't change the season. I am looking forward to it."

Strachan is a big fan of Hartley and he did not need to see his Scotland goal to have the point proved.

"He didn't need to score goals to emphasise that," said Strachan.

"He has been absolutely magnificent, as have Hearts' other international players."

Taken from sportinglife.com