Defeat takes the gloss off Celtic's festivities

STEPHEN HALLIDAY
AT CELTIC PARK
HEARTS confirmed their status as Scottish football's least desirable house guests yesterday as they plundered what may prove to be a highly significant victory from Celtic Park to take the shine off the SPL champions' title celebrations and trophy presentation.
Just as they had done at Easter Road at the start of this month, when they defeated CIS Insurance Cup winners Hibernian at Easter Road, the Tynecastle club proved themselves the ultimate party-poopers and, at the same time, re-energised their own quest to secure third place in the SPL and European football next season.

They are now just four points behind Aberdeen in the race for the remaining UEFA Cup slot with three games of the campaign remaining. The two sides meet at Tynecastle next Sunday and Hearts will go into the match full of confidence after an inspired second-half display allowed them to hand Celtic only their second home defeat of the season.

The festivities for Gordon Strachan, his players and their supporters would continue long into last night regardless, although the manager's day was further soured by his second-half dismissal by referee Stuart Dougal.

The match itself was something of a distraction for the home supporters, although Strachan was true to his pledge of fielding a strong line-up despite the championship having been secured. The only surprise was the inclusion of Jean-Joel Perrier-Doumbe at right-back. The Cameroon international joined the club in January as cover for Mark Wilson and Paul Telfer, but, until yesterday, had not tasted even a single moment of first team action.

Having waited for so long for his opportunity, Perrier-Doumbe made a positive first impression. Tidy in possession and sharp in the tackle, the former Rennes player looked eager to convince Celtic they should take up their option to extend his initial six-month contract.

Hearts set themselves up in a system which made it clear they would have been content with a point, Michal Pospisil deployed as a lone striker with Kestutis Ivaskevicius operating just behind him, and they were able to largely restrict Celtic to long range attempts on goal during a low key first half.

Craig Gordon dealt with most of them with a degree of comfort, although he was extended by a Jiri Jarosik's well struck effort which saw the Scotland No 1 plunge low to his right to turn the ball behind.

If there was no necessity for a sense of urgency in Celtic's performance, they appeared determined enough to rack up yet another victory as they enjoyed the lion's share of possession. Stephen McManus should have headed them in front from a Shunsuke Nakamura corner, the defender heading over from close range, and Aiden McGeady steered a shot from the edge of the box narrowly wide with Gordon beaten and static.

Hearts made a change midway through the first half, Julien Brellier withdrawn and replaced by Tomas Kancelskis. While the French midfielder had earlier needed treatment for an injury, he displayed extreme displeasure at being taken off. It certainly did not seem like a substitution Hearts would make willingly, requiring as it did a tactical reshuffle as Kancelskis moved into central defence with his compatriot Marius Zaliukas moving forward to fill Brellier's role.

The visitors were forced to make another change at the start of a unexpectedly thrilling second half, Lee Wallace replacing the injured Jose Goncalves at left-back, and there was little hint of the delight which lay ahead for them as Celtic restarted with real purpose. Jarosik headed over from the impressive Perrier-Doumbe's cross, then Nakamura flashed a trademark free-kick inches wide as the champions seemed to be closing in on the breakthrough.

The match was spectacularly turned on its head, however, in a frenetic 15 minute period which saw Hearts garner their 3-1 advantage and Celtic manager Strachan banished to the stand.

It was the outstanding Laryea Kingston who created the 57th minute opener for Hearts, surging down the right and delivering a low cross to Ivaskevicius.

The Lithuanian easily eluded Steven Pressley's cumbersome challenge and showed great composure to chip a right foot shot over the advancing Artur Boruc. Celtic had barely digested that setback when Hearts doubled their lead four minutes later.

Lee Naylor was booked for cynically stopping another Kingston run on the edge of the home penalty area and Andrew Driver stepped up to brilliantly curl the free-kick over the wall and beyond Boruc's left hand in a manner Nakamura would have been proud to emulate at the other end.

The prospect of defeat on the day they retained possession of the trophy was an unpalatable one for Celtic and they almost immediately pulled themselves back into the contest when Pressley took full advantage of poor marking in the Hearts defence to head a Nakamura cross beyond Gordon from close range.

If the stage was now set for a typical Celtic comeback, Hearts were simply not prepared to follow the script. They sealed their victory with 19 minutes remaining, Pressley conceding a penalty with a bodycheck on Kingston which also earned him a caution. Pospisil stepped up to drive the ball emphatically beyond Boruc.

As Hearts then made their final change of the afternoon, sending Neil McCann on for Saulius Mikoliunas, Strachan was moved to pat the substitute on the back and apparently make a comment towards either him or the departing Lithuanian winger. The Celtic manager had earlier ordered his team to play on when Mikoliunas was prostrate after incurring an injury. Whatever Strachan said, it was overheard by referee Dougal who immediately ordered him to the stand.

Strachan refuses to let sending off dampen the celebration at Parkhead

GORDON Strachan last night insisted his sense of satisfaction at lifting the SPL trophy for the second successive year would not be diluted by his controversial dismissal by referee Stuart Dougal.

The Celtic manager was sent off by Dougal 17 minutes from the end of his team's 3-1 defeat to Hearts yesterday and, subject to any appeal he lodges, will now be banned from the technical area for next Saturday's Old Firm match against Rangers at Ibrox.

Strachan incurred Dougal's disapproval as Hearts sent on Neil McCann for Saulius Mikoliunas shortly after their third goal. Moving towards McCann and patting him on the shoulder, Strachan said something which prompted Dougal to immediately order him to the stand.

Stephen Frail, the Hearts assistant head coach, believes Strachan was unfairly dealt with and said: "He whispered in Neil's ear and I think he said something like he knew he would get a wee run out in the game. From where I was standing, it seemed very harsh that he was sent off."

Strachan, his clothes still dripping wet from being thrown into the bath by his celebrating players after the match, did not go into details of his comments to McCann. Asked why he was sent off, however, he replied: "It could be for sarcasm. But there was no vocabulary directed at the referee, or swear words. The fourth official can back me up on that.

"Today has been a long time coming, and no one person is bigger than this club. One person won't take the headlines away from this club or a group of players who have done fantastically well."

Asked if he would appeal his automatic suspension, Strachan said: "I'm not worried about that at the moment, we will look at it later. Sometimes it might be better if I'm out of the dug-out."

Celtic's players and supporters quickly got over the disappointment of defeat yesterday to revel in the presentation of the trophy which was made by surprise guest Lubomir Moravcik. The former fans' favourite appeared to hand it over to Neil Lennon, the departing Celtic captain receiving raucous acclaim from the home crowd at the end of a week in which the championship was retained and he announced he would be leaving the club at the end of the season.

Strachan again dismissed an inquiry over his own future.

He replied: "Where am I going to go? I just love being at this club. Next season has been a year in the planning. The ironic thing is that, despite the defeat, that was the best we have played for a long time. If we make that many chances and I see that kind of touch and movement against our leading contenders next season, I will be very happy.

"It wasn't a game in the first half, because Hearts didn't have the ball. The result is not right, because of the number of chances we made, but Hearts are a sticky side."

Frail believes the Tynecastle side provided evidence they can challenge for the title next season, but his immediate priority is overhauling third placed Aberdeen in the SPL to secure a UEFA Cup place.

"I think this was a marker for next year," said Frail. "Celtic deserved to win
the league, but today shows our players we can beat them. I was a bit mad at myself on Friday when I said I think we could split the Old Firm again next season.

"What I really want is for us to put in a better title challenge and for them to be second and third.

"Aberdeen are still in pole position for third place and we have to make sure we don't waste this result today by not beating them at Tynecastle next week."

Frail also called on the SFA to show leniency towards Ghanaian midfielder Laryea Kingston when he appears before them on Tuesday as a result of accusing referee Steve Conroy of being a racist following his red card at Pittodrie earlier this year.

"I hope they will look at his record since then and take it into consideration," said Frail. "He knows what he did was wrong, he regrets it and has apologised. I'm sure he will get further punishment, but I hope not."

Taken from the Scotsman