Hearts 2 Celtic 3

The remainder of 2006 may seem an anti-climax. It is surely impossible for Scottish football to generate again the breathless intensity, searing controversy and raw emotional drama that pulsated here yesterday in one of the most coruscating matches the stadium has witnessed.

Celtic, after flailing under a tide of Hearts' excellence in the first half, scored twice through Stephen McManus in the final three minutes to strike an amazing win and move seven points clear at the top of the Bank of Scotland Premierleague.

Not that anything as bland as a league table could sum up a game which, on top of five goals, spawned one red card, nine yellow cards and police intervention to calm inflamed supporters.

The fading of a title challenge from outwith the Old Firm is as much a New Year tradition in Scotland as a two-day hangover. Things had promised to be very different, though, when Hearts trampled all over their first foot during a supercharged opening to the game – taking a 2-0 lead inside eight minutes thanks to goals from Edgaras Jankauskas and Steven Pressley.

Their advantage could, perhaps should, have been greater by half-time. When Stephen Pearson, who came off the bench after Stilian Petrov damaged a hamstring, clawed back a goal for Celtic, the tide had turned. It was, though, the 76th-minute dismissal of Takis Fyssas, the Hearts left-back, that Graham Rix will ruefully reflect upon as Celtic capitalised on their additional man with a devastating late burst.

Gordon Strachan admitted fortune had possibly favoured his side, while Hearts also nursed bitter grievances over the free-kicks that provided for McManus. Iain Brines, the referee, and his stand-side assistant, Tom Murphy, have joined the list of officials whom Hearts supporters love to loathe.

A couple of home fans had already hammered the side of the Celtic dug-out in a confrontation with Strachan and his bench following the winning goal, before the final whistle brought another moment of madness. As Neil Lennon made his way towards the tunnel, with fists clenched in celebration towards the main stand, a Tynecastle supporter leapt on top of the dug-out to hurl more angry abuse.

Kick-off was a calm and distant memory by that point, but Celtic had begun with Alan Thompson beefing up the left side of their midfield for the first time since losing 1-0 to Dunfermline on November 26. He was involved the creation of the game's first tangible opportunity, the spurning of which was to prove crucial to the maroon pattern of the first half, as Petrov headed over his fourth-minute cross from close range.

It took just a minute for Hearts to exact the maximum punishment for that moment of profligacy. Bobo Baldé had lumberingly tracked Calum Elliot beyond the halfway line but was exposed as the nimble striker spun away and released a pass into the wide green expanse he had vacated.

Paul Hartley's pace burned off the chase of Lennon as the Scotland midfielder surged into the penalty area and crossed low with the outside of his foot for Jankauskas. The Lithuanian striker slid in to make contact and the ball cannoned off the inrushing Ross Wallace before crossing the line. Tynecastle shuddered around the explosion of noise that makes the stadium one of Scotland's most thrilling venues. It had barely subsided before rising again to acclaim a second Hearts goal.

Rudi Skacel whipped over a vicious, deep corner kick and Pressley, who had escaped McManus, rose to meet it with a thumping header that sped beyond a flapping Artur Boruc and into his net. Celtic were in danger of being roundly embarrassed. Impish trickery and tenacity from Elliot released Skacel, whose low strike was held by Boruc. The same duo then combined for the Czech to out-jump McManus but direct his header just wide.

Elliot was magnificent in the opening period and it was a flick from the 18-year-old that forced Baldé, whose first half was a shambles, into a last-gasp lunge on Deividas Cesnauskis for which he was booked. Another back-heel slipped Skacel in behind the Celtic defence and forced Boruc to make the save of the match. Strachan lost Petrov seven minutes after the restart but it was his replacement who halted Celtic's decline. Pearson had been on the field for barely three minutes when he nipped a pass for Shaun Maloney and hared into the box for the desired return. Maloney didn't disappoint with a perfect delivery, allowing the untracked Pearson a tap-in from barely a foot out as the home rearguard were caught bewildered.

Now the pendulum of pressure swung to the opposite extreme as Celtic rolled forward in waves of attacking intent. A Maloney shot was ruled out for offside before the red card for Fyssas raised the intensity to almost unbearable level. A raking pass from Aiden McGeady, who had replaced the ineffectual Thompson, sparked a race between Maloney and the Greek which ended with the Celtic striker being clipped at the edge of the area. Brines sprinted forward to flourish a red card and was promptly surrounded by Hearts players, possibly griping at why Baldé wasn't punished in a similar manner at his first- half booking.

Celtic's dramatic late goals bore an almost cloned resemblance. The levelling strike came in 87 minutes when Skacel fouled Telfer and Nakamura's free-kick from the right was headed in by McManus.

Hearts were enraged three minutes later when Hartley was judged to have tripped the Japanese player. Contact had seemed minimal and both Hartley and Skacel were booked for ranting in anger at Murphy, who had called the free-kick.

It was almost inevitable that Celtic would score. Nakamura's delivery bounced off Baldé and dropped neatly for McManus to turn and sweep the ball low into the net from the fringe of the six-yard box.

The new year promises riches for Strachan.

Scorers: Hearts – Jankauskas (6), Pressley (8); Celtic – Pearson (55), McManus (87, 90)

Taken from the Herald