Gordon fall guy as Celts leave it late

Jarosik 86; Gordon 90 og
Velicka 73

IT REALLY is all too easy for Celtic in the Scottish Premierleague. They played for all of, oh, the final ten minutes yesterday but with that brief cameo managed to cancel out a Andrius Velicka effort, force a nutty final seconds own goal winner from Craig Gordon and, effectively win the title. So it was that a Celtic Park becalmed by a spirited Hearts display and a lethargic home performance that betrayed post-Benfica blues was sent into raptures when the final whistle confirmed their team's 13-point lead over their Tynecastle nearest challengers.

Finishes don't come more frenetic, and faintly ridiculous, than set in motion when Jiri Jarosik climbed high in the air to meet a Shunsuke Nakamura corner and head in an 86th minute equaliser for Gordon Strachan's men. Suddenly, Celtic began to play like men possessed and battered Hearts for a winner as if they were the team who needed victory merely to sustain a nominal title challenge.

Success arrived in the most bizarre circumstances. And right at the bitter of bitter ends, indeed, with almost four minutes of injury time then on the clock. Following a corner, somehow Gary Caldwell dug the ball forward at the edge of the area, where it dropped to Stephen McManus. He then hooked a shot that Gordon blocked before it looped up. But with Robbie Neilson stationed on the goalline, the Scotland keeper tried to catch the ball and only succeeded in knocking it into his own net.

It was an end desperately cruel on a Hearts side who had taken a deserved lead in the 73rd minute. Neither Caldwell nor Stephen McManus came to meet Andrius Velicka after he darted through the middle, and that allowed the striker to slip a shot past the right of the advancing Artur Boruc.

Tinkering by Hearts coach Eduard Malofeev that saw him remove Bruno Aguiar after 80 minutes while leaving the hirpling Marius Zaliukas on the field may have proved costly to the visitors. Then again it might simply have been destiny Celtic prevailed because there was no other rational explanation for what eventually happened. Even if it prompted Gordon Strachan to enthuse over the character, passion and heart and determination of his side. He really ought to have added jamminess.

But teams initially were set out in more familiar lines than in their last matches. Celtic reverted to 4-4-2, having played five across the middle in the sobering Champions Leagye defeat away to Benfica. With Maciej Zurawksi operating alongside Kenny Miller up front and Aiden McGeady drafted in on the left flank, Shaun Maloney and Stephen Pearson drop to the bench from the team that lost in Lisbon.

A Hearts team bereft of Stephen Pressley could never look entirely normal. But flu that forced the Scotland international out resulted in Malofeev jettisoning the three-man backline he forced on the Edinburgh side for the draw at home to Kilmarnock. Instead, Ibrahim Tall partnered Christophe Berra at the heart of a back four with Andrius Velicka the only player dedicated to attacking duties at the other end of the field.

If the intention was to stifle Celtic in forward areas, the ploy was successful. In trailing Strachan's side by 10 points going into the confrontation, however, more was required of second placed Hearts to bring to life a moribund title race.

Hearts' Russian coach Malofeev provided some of the early entertainment. A volatile character, he time and again bounded towards the edge of his technical area to bark instructions before suddenly checking back as it dawned the exhortations in his native tongue. It forced him to seek out his interpreter so that his pearls of wisdom could then be passed to the players via John McGlynn. A pantomime, and we are only in November. No wonder the Tynecastle players pine for on-sabbatical Valdas Ivanauskas.

Strachan, however, did not look as if he was having any greater success imparting his pointers to his players. Shunsuke Nakamura was busy but the after effects of a nightmare night in the Stadium of Light seemed evident in the home side's play. It was no surprise that the Japanese midfielder carved out the first opportunity - setting himself up for a strike on goal after wriggling a couple of players - and no surprise his resultant shot was a tame effort that Gordon dealt with easily. The Scotland keeper did not look so assured when fending away a low drive from Zurawski shortly afterwards. He was fortunate Miller could not connect properly after knocking the ball into the air.

It was a confrontation in which craft and conviction rarely combined. That the latter eluded Saulius Mikolunas after he had provided the former was the sole reason Hearts did not take a lead into the interval. Sent away down the right, the midfielder fatally hesitated in corkscrewing round Paul Telfer with Artur Boruc exposed. By the time the Lithuanian eventually did get his shot away, the keeper was able to block.

Hearts remained the more purposeful of the two sides following the interval and Velicka twice flashed efforts wide of the goal when darting through a ponderous backline. The home team's inability to threatening the other goal led Strachan to turn to Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink as the hour mark approached, but the Dutchman's first appearance following a three week injury absence did not prevent Hearts continuing to look the more dangerous. But danger stalked and ultimately mugged the Edinburgh club, just when they least expected it.
MAN OF THE MATCH

Shunsuke Nakamura was the one Celtic player who rose above the mediocrity around him and was given the customary plaudits.
ASIDE

Eduard Malofeev and the amazing translating circus at trackside raised more than a few chuckles during the quiet moments in the opening stages.

Taken from the Scotsman