STEPHEN MCMENACE

IT was not especially pretty. In fact, there were times when it was ugly and downright spiteful but you could not take your eyes off it. You couldn't even blink.

And yet it was still impossible to see half of what went on inside a bristling, simmering Tynecastle as Hearts and Celtic clattered into 2006 as well as themselves.

This was a match that left more than the players gasping and just as soon as everyone who witnessed this boiling tussle, which was richly seasoned with off-the-ball clashes, catches breath, the recriminations will rage.

But if Celtic charge on and win the SPL championship - who can stop them now? - they should look back on yesterday and remember this match as the one that set them apart from the rest.

Yesterday it wasn't beautiful football that brought them victory. Yesterday was about Celtic's spirit and their refusal to take a beating and it was epitomised by defender Stephen McManus arriving twice in the Hearts penalty area to score an equaliser and then a stunning winner.

In the first hal especially,they were awful and all over the place when Hearts took a two-goal lead but they just wouldn't give up and got there in the end.

However, it might be some time before we fully understandexactlywhatwentonin the Gorgie area of Edinburgh as the new year began with a bang. All over the pitch, particularly in the second half, players were having a go and there was violence outside the ground as well Inside, Neil Lennon,StevenPressley,Paul Hartley, Robbie Neilson and Bobo Balde were taking liberties and referee Iain Brines wasunabletokeepupwithallthenonsense.

Hearts, though, failed to keep up with themselves and it was when they ran out of steam in the second half that Celtic took over and grabbed the initiative to open up a seven-point gap at the top of the league.But, more importantly, this triumph may well leave a psychological scar with Hearts.

This Ne'erday setback was a harsh way to begin another year because Hearts had worked so hard and played so well in that first half when they scored two goals through Edgaras Jankauskas,although Ross Wallace's chest deflected the ball into the net, and then Pressley.

Their fans believed the game was won but they were absolutely stunned by the end of the match when Celtic scored two late goals. It was all too much for one bloke just behind the Celtic dugout, which he tried to leap to get at Lennon as hewas leaving the pitch.

Lennon seemed to gesture towards the stand as he made for the tunnel and Hearts fans were enraged.

A group of 30 or 40 caused further bother outside in McLeod Street where they hurled stones and coins at Celtic's fans as they poured out of the School end. Mounted police had to move in and become a barrier between the opposing fans and it's likely Hearts will hear more of this incident.

More will certainly be said about Brines' decisions,especially the one that left Hearts a man down after 75 minutes.

That was when Takis Fyssas tackled Shaun Maloney just outside Hearts' box and was shown a red card.

With Hearts' players, especially Hartley slowing down markedly, this left them far too vulnerable but in the first half Balde had downed Deividas Cesnauskis, also on the edge of the box. Yet the big defender was only booked.

Some of us had difficulty seeing the difference between the two challenges but Hearts shouldn't complain too much because they actually invited Celtic to punish them.

Holding on to a 2-1 lead with only three minutes to go, they gave away two stupid free-kicks deep on their own left side and that let Shunsuke Nakamura flight perfect crosses for McManus to score a double.

Gordon Strachan could hardly contain himself when he saw Craig Gordon's net bulge and although he'll be worried about his defence, which was very shaky, he'll be more concerned about the hamstring problem that ended Stilian Petrov's day prematurely. The Bulgarian had the first chance to score and should have done much better than head the ball over the bar, a miss that would perhaps have made Hearts stop and think. Instead they bombed forward and in five minutes were in front.

Hartley sped down the left and delivered the ball into the middle where Jankauskas was waiting to swing a leg. He did but not with any elegance yet the ball bounced into the net off Wallace's chest.

Celtic's fans, packed in behind Boruc's goal, were stunned but worse was to follow two minutes later when Hearts forced a corner on their right. Rudi Skacel lofted the ball to the far post, Pressley rose and his header found the net.

John Hartson should have eased Celtic's growing anxiety in 24 minutes when he spun away from Pressley and barged into the penalty area. Maloney was at his right and pleading for the pass but the big Welsh striker fell over.

At the other end a few minutes later Balde and then Lennon were in trouble because of poor co-ordination while Calum Elliot, who had a terrific game, displayed some stunning footwork.

The youngster, who has just signed a long-term contract, clipped the ball in to Skacel but his header zoomed wide.

Then, close to half-time, Balde pulled Cesnauskis down almost on the18-yard line and was booked. The big defender was lucky not to have seen red because Cesnauskis looked as though he was about to run clear into the box where he'd have had an obvious scoring opportunity. But before Celtic could get indoors McManus was booked for fouling Cesnauskis, then Neilson kicked out at Petrov.The referee saw nothing but Strachan had seen enough to know he would have to make changes, although the first was forced upon him.

Pearson took over from the injured Petrov early in the second half and shuffled out to the left with Thompson stepping in one but very quickly Strachan told Thompson and Pearson to switch roles and that was the first move that worked for Celtic.

After Hartson was booked for persistent fouling,Maloney got space on the left in 54 minutes and when his cross arrived in the middle Pearson was there to score.

Thompson went off and Aiden McGeady took over on that left beat, although it was Wallace who got down the wing only to balloon his cross over the bar. However, Celtic were now looking slightly stronger as Hearts' players began to pay for their earlier pace.

Still, they remainedmenacingwhen they did get forward and Pressley felt he might have been impeded by Hartson as he tried toheadtowardsgoal.Attheotherend,Celtic thoughttheyhadscoredbutas Maloneyput the ball in hesaw a flag up for offside Celtic continued to push and Pressley had to stretch to clear Maloney's cross but when Fyssas was sent off Hearts knew they were in real trouble. They were also furious and Neilson wasbooked for his protest.

Lennon left Pressley in a heap after an off-the-ball challenge and Hearts were down to nine men for a minute as their skipper received treatment. He got back on but wasn't able to prevent McManus from equalising and then winning the game for Celtic but Hearts only had themselves to blame for conceding two stupid free-kicks deep on their own left side.

Nakamura took both and McManus was there to finish off Hearts. His first, in 87 minutes, was a header and his second a shot on the turn.

That was it. Hearts left the pitch with anger and disappointment fighting to be the main emotion while Celtic went home relieved they had widened the gap at the top of the SPL.

The rest of us retreated to find our second wind and try to make some sense of what we had just witnessed

MAN OF THE MATCH Calum Elliot (Hearts

Man Man

Compiled by Keith Jackson

HEARTS Craig Gordon: Handling excellent but no chance with any of Celtic's goals 6

Robbie Neilson: Typically dogged 6

display but could have seen red for swipe at Petrov.

Steven Pressley: Capped a true captain's performance with his goal but couldn't stave off Hearts' late collapse 7

Andy Webster: Had his usual fun and games with Hartson. Came out of it with honours about even.

6 Takis Fyssas: The Greek's red card turned the match. Steady up until then. 5

Deividas Cesnauskis: Won his battle with Thompson before being subbed 6

Julien Brellier: A tidy if unspectacular midfield performance from the Frenchman.

6

Paul Hartley: Back to his best supporting strikers. Did superbly well at the opening goal.

7 Rudi Skacel: A constant pest to Celtic's defence but lost the plot late in the match

7
Edgaras Jankauskas: Deserves to be credited with the opener after putting in a power of work

6
Callum Elliot: For 45 minutes possibly the finest individual display of the season. On this form, the boy is a world beater

8
Subs: Lee Wallace - replaced Cesnauskis for last 14 minutes, 2. Michael Popisil - thrown on for Jankauskas at death, 1

CELTIC Artur Boruc: Suspect at both goals but made one vital save.

5

Paul Telfer: Thanks to Skacel, he couldn't get out of his own half until late on

6 Bobo Balde: Roasted by Elliot and fortunate not to be red-carded. A liability.

5

Stephen McManus: Came up

with two stunning late blows to snatch the points7

Ross Wallace: Struggled going

forward but always impressive on the ball.

6

Shunsuke Nakamura: His two

late dead-ball deliveries set up McManus double.

5 Neil Lennon: The midfielder was snapping and snarling at everything. A real battler.

7Stilian Petrov: Celtic's driving

force until he limped off with a damaged hamstring.

7Alan Thompson: Given second

start in 12 games. Fought hard but looked ring rusty.

5

Shaun Maloney: Was very subdued until his forward burst forced Fysas into the foul that turned the contest.

5

John Hartson: A real heavyweight battle with Webster made for engrossing viewing.

7 Subs: Stephen Pearson - on for Petrov after the break, his energy helped transform the match, 6. Aiden McGeady - replaced Thompson as Strachan pushed three men forward to go in for the kill, 4

Moment that changed the game: The dismissal of Takis Fyssas left Hearts too much to do


Taken from the Daily Record