Celtic fail to break Hearts

When Sean Connery was shooting the first Bond film, Dr No, Hearts were champions of Scotland. It has been a 45-year interval. Edinburgh’s most famous son might find it appropriate that the Tynecastle dream is now funded From Russia With Love.

Vladimir Romanov made his money in the old Soviet Union that 007 used to defeat regularly. Now Hearts’ wealthy owner is spending it in Connery’s backyard to good effect. He watched his team contribute to an encounter that George Burley labelled “a great advert for the Bank of Scotland Premierleague”. Rudi Skacel’s equaliser kept Hearts at the top of the table, as Britain’s biggest crowd of the weekend, 60,108, was treated to a contest between the top two laced with flair and passion. Gordon Strachan, tiring of questions about Hearts’ chances of winning the title, responded by saying: “I’ve had my shot at being a pundit.”

The Celtic manager knew his team had lost a chance to seize pole position. Yet he may come to be grateful for that. Strachan’s Celtic do not look ready yet for the burden of leadership. Burley’s team, on the other hand, have thrived on it since July 30 and in the opening half-hour on Saturday they played the crisper football. There was a certain inevitability in the stalemate persisting after Craig Beattie and Skacel swapped goals in the opening 16 minutes.

By the time the sides next meet, on New Year’s Day at Tynecastle, there may be more to read into the outcome. However, history teaches us all — especially Hearts fans — that one creditable result in October does not mean that long-awaited championship when May comes. Exactly 20 years ago, when Hearts came closest to ending their 45-year title famine, they won at Celtic Park in the first of four encounters in 1985-86. Three 1-1 draws followed as Hearts spent five months at the top before losing it all in the final seven minutes as defeat at Dundee handed the prize to Celtic.

Taken from timesonline.co.uk