WE COULD LOSE OUT TO CELTIC AND STILL WIN TITLE

IT'S Craig Gordon's 23rd birthday today but don't expect the Hearts keeper to be having the Hogmanay hoolie to end them all.

Not when he's got to get up in the morning to face Celtic in a game that will go a long way to shaping the championship race.

Gordon will open his presents this morning but while the rest of the country is partying tonight he'll have his head down dreaming of three points - and just thanking his lucky stars that this time he'll actually get the chance to face Celtic.

The keeper missed the 1-1 draw at Parkhead earlier in the season,having been sent off by Iain Brines - ironically tomorrow's match official - in the previous match against Falkirk.

Gordon didn't like being a spectator, although he wouldn't mind looking on from his penalty box as his mates run amok at the other end of Tynecastle.

He said: "It's harder to watch from the stand.You have no control over it and that is the worst thing. You are sitting there hoping the guys can do well but there is nothing you can do.

"You just hope they go on to win but you can't talk to your back four or do anything to help. That was a bit frustrating and it is something I wouldn't like too many more times."

That 90 minutes did give Gordon the chance to run the rule over Celtic keeper Artur Boruc and the Scot admits he was impressed by the Pole.

He said: "I look forward to playing against him and watching him up close.

"He is a very good keeper. He has come in and got a lot of praise and quite rightly so.He's been fantastic for Celtic and won them a fair few points.

"He had a great penalty save at Inverness that won them at least a point and there have been other great saves. He's played very well for them and kept them in games. That's the sign of a good keeper."

The battle of the keepers could hold the key to the outcome of a match Hearts can't afford to lose. At least that's what most folk believe.

Gordon, though, isn't most folk. Not unless most folk have played for their country on 14 occasions by the time they turn 23 and have 112 club appearances under their belt.

The Scotland No.1 may be quietly spoken but his demeanour belies a determination to be the best in the business. Maybe that's why the consequences of defeat haven't even entered his mind.

Hearts would slide seven points adriftof CelticshouldGordonStrachan's team prevail tomorrow but when the keeper was asked if that would be an insurmountable gap, he looked surprised to have to consider that possibility Butonething's for sure, if Heartsdo lose, Gordon isn't about to concede the title.

Hesaid:"I don't think it's impossible to get seven points back.

"Dunfermline are bottom of the league and went to Celtic Park and won, so even if we were to lose, I don't think it would be the end of the world.

"But we are definitely not going into the game looking for anything less than three points.

"The way this season has been going, though, I don't think seven points wouldbe at all uncatchable."

Hearts have been visibly buoyed by their 5-0 win over Falkirk on Boxing Day and Gordon believes they will have to repeat their high-energy performance to get the better of the league leaders.

He added: "A win of that size and the performance would give anyone confidence. We did need it because the past few weeks haven't been up to the standards we've set but the Falkirk game was right back up to the level we can produce.

"The players know it was a very good performance. It wasn't just one half, it was dominating the whole 90 minutes from start to finish.That was what we had been doing earlier in the season and it was good to get back to doing that.

"We knew we hadn't been doing well and the manager had a few meetings in the course of the week to try to find out why. A few of the more experienced players and some of the international players had their say as well and everyone got together and realised what a great chance we have to do something special this year"Even though we've not been playingthatgreatinthepastcoupleof weeks,we are still right in touch in the title race. We just had to get back to doing whatwe'd been doing earlier in the season.

"The tempo is the key. If we play fast as we did against Falkirk, it is difficult for teams to handle.

"Celtic have great players and great ability but we have to nullify that by getting in their face and pressing them all over the park to force them into mistakes.

"That's what we are good at and that's what we have to do. We have to impose ourselves on them."

As for missing his birthday and Hogmanay celebrations, the boy honestly couldn't care less. He reckons it's a small price to pay for a career that just keeps getting better.

He said: "Missing Hogmanay is part and parcel of playing for a successful team. Your team is on the telly and the game gets switched to New Year's Day.

"I don't think any of the boys will be complaining too much if we get the three points and close the gap down to a single point.

"That will be as good a New Year as anyone could hope for. It would be a nice birthday present as well. That would do me nicely.

"Things have happened very quickly for me and I've had to adapt fast. New challenges seem to pop up all the time.

"I just take it as it comes and try to deal with it the best I can. It's exciting for me that things have happened so quickly. I wouldn't have expected it but it's here now and I want it to keep going as long as possible.

"The pre-season squad we took to Ireland had plenty of 18 and 19-year-olds. It was a threadbare squad and while it is not massive now, the players we have added have been of great quality.

"We have gelled very quickly and that's key to our success.We have a tight-knit unit and that might be a benefit to having a small squad but there are down sides to that as well. It's been going along very well so far and hopefully it can continue

Taken from the Daily Record