AIN'T NO TOPPING THEM NOW

THE champions have already tried and failed. On Saturday it was Celtic's turn at attempting to slap George Burley's upstarts back into their place.

And when it was all over, the notion occurred that the biggest danger to Hearts' enthralling surge towards the SPL crown might be Hearts themselves.

Ten games in, Burley and his players have come up against the best of the rest and they remain undefeated and perched at the top of the table. The fact that they have survived this latest test at the other end of the M8 suggests the Tynecastle side really ought to have nothing left to fear.

There were times at Parkhead, particularly during a gripping first half, when this collection of Scotland stalwarts and impressive imports played a previously rejuvenated Celtic side off their own park. Hearts remain top of the pile because they are are the best team in the land.

Now only complacency, injuries or perhaps even the suspiciously smouldering relationship between the manager's office and the boardroom can bring them down.

Of course, it is true they have dropped four points in their last two games but Rangers were unable to capitalise yesterday and remain nine points adrift of the Gorgie men.

Hibs are within seven points but, while Tony Mowbray's youngsters are unlikely to be in there at the death, there can now be no question of the credentials of their capital rivals.

Burley's boys are the real deal alright and this season's big one is theirs for the taking so long as they can avoid pressing the self-destruct button. The manager's timing is perfect as the Old Firm are not what they used to be and even now, almost three months into the campaign, neither Gordon Strachan nor Alex McLeish appears to know his best 11.

Strachan had much on which to ponder before this game with Neil Lennon and Alan Thompson available to him again. Both were returned straight into Celtic's midfield, presumably because they are born winners who have helped to carry the club for more than five years.

But the strain has taken a hefty toll on this pair and neither man covered himself in glory on Saturday.

In fact, both Lennon and Thompson were subbed before the end and it was the introduction from the bench of Shaun Maloney and John Hartson which seemed to spark Strachan's side back to life.

They pushed hard for a late winner and dominated the second period in a manner that had not looked likely before half-time.

But Hearts - their defence marshalled once again by the outstanding Steven Pressley - held firm and they celebrated at the end as if this draw had clinched the title itself.

That's because these players knew the significance of what they had just achieved and were aware also of the message they had sent out. If they can go undefeated even at the home of one of the country's big two then they really do have what it takes to take this thing all the way until May.

Perhaps in securing this result these players had proved the point to themselves. Little wonder then that they could not contain their joy.

They even had to do it the hard way as they found themselves a goal down after only 13 minutes when Craig Beattie's shot cracked off Julien Brellier and looped up and over stand-in keeper Steve Banks.

Right then Burley probably sensed that the acid test had just arrived.

Hearts could have crumbled or retreated into their shells. After all, they scarcely deserved to be trailing as, until Beattie struck, their work had been by far the more dynamic and dangerous.

With Paul Hartley, Rudi Skacel and Edgaras Jankauskas all tearing out the blocks and combining subtly with no little skill, they took the game to Strachan's men and were unfortunate not to claim the lead before Beattie found a way through.

Even then the Celtic frontman's goal reeked of injustice as the foul that led to his opener - when Shunsuke Nakamura flung himself to the ground after rubbing shoulders with Skacel - should not have been awarded in the first place.

But Hearts then compounded referee Dougie McDonald's mistake by going to sleep at the set piece as Thompson slipped a pass to Nakamura, who was not closed down and was afforded time to pick out Lennon's run to the back post with a perfectly flighted cross.

The captain needed only to nod the ball back across goal for chaos to ensue and there, lurking in the thick of it, was Beattie who cleverly made room for himself before firing his shot off the boot of Brellier and high past Banks.

Yep, if ever there was a time for Hearts to start feeling insecure or sorry for themselves this was surely it. And they were almost 2-0 down less than 60 seconds later when Bobo Balde smashed a header off the post.

But Burley's men took a deep breath, steadied themselves and then came tearing back into the contest with such endeavour and guile that Celtic had few answers.

Skacel had them level in no time when he chased a long through ball and harassed Paul Telfer into a state of confusion. Telfer really ought to have lashed the ball clear but, racing back towards his own goal, he spotted Artur Boruc thundering out and opted to leave it for the keeper. It was a costly moment of hesitation.

Skacel had squeezed himself between the pair in a flash and got his boot to the ball just as Boruc was slapping a glove on it.

The ball broke clear and Skacel showed all the composure of a man notching his eighth goal in 10 matches as he fired home from a tight angle, even though he was on the turn as he squeezed his shot away.

It was a sloppy goal for Celtic to give away but it was no less than Hearts deserved as they had been the more fluent team from the opening whistle.

Celtic, though, managed to muscle their way back in and ended the half strongly, though without ever really carving through the Pressley and Andy Webster partnership.

And had the Czech showman Skacel not suddenly lost his cool in 58 minutes, after superbly working an incisive one-two with Jankauskas, then Hearts would have been in front.

Once again Skacel was in on Boruc but this time his touch was heavy and that allowed Celtic's keeper to get his angles right and make the block.

It was then that Strachan decided to remove Thompson from the fray. The Geordie had run out of gas after overheating a few times in that bumpy first half but the introduction of Maloney allowed Celtic to motor again.

Within a couple of minutes Maloney had been chopped down by Brellier, who was booked as the little striker dusted himself down and stood over the dead ball. Maloney then conjured a quite brilliant curling free-kick that looked a certain goal until Banks popped up under his bar with a save to match.

In fact, with the game stretching, chances came and went at both ends but the Parkhead men missed most of them with Hartson and Sutton passing up two in two minutes they might normally have snaffled.

Even then, as the pressure became intense, Hearts' players held their nerve as if they had been operating at this level all their days.

Yes, these players are starting to believe they belong at the top - and that just might make them more dangerous than ever.

MAN OF THE MATCH Steven Pressley (Hearts)

MAN BY MAN

Steve Banks: Looked shaky with crosses but pulled off some stunning saves. 7

Robie Neilson: An unsung hero. Keeps everything simple and works like a Trojan. 7

Steven Pressley: Pipped Skacel as the pick of the bunch. Won almost everything. 9

Andy Webster: Had to take care of Sutton then Hartson and did a great job of it. 7

Panagiotis Fyssas: Did not offer much going forward but defended pretty solidly throughout. 6

Samuel Camazzola: Some decent passes but overall the Brazilian player was disappointing. 5

Julien Brellier: Great shift in the heart of midfield. Wretched luck at Beattie's goal. 6

Paul Hartley: Along with Petrov, the most impressive player in the engine room. 8

Rudi Skacel: Not just another goal but a constant pest to Celtic's defence. What a find. 8

Michael Pospisil: Worked hard but failed to shine and didn't get a sniff at goal. 6

Edgaras Jankauskas: A clever, clever player. Great link-up work without testing Boruc. 7

Subs: Calum Elliot - on for Pospisil in 77 minutes but didn't see much of the ball, 2.

Taken from the Daily Record