Hearts 1 Celtic 1

By Gavin McCafferty, PA Sport

Andrius Velicka's stoppage-time penalty earned Hearts a point against Clydesdale Bank Premier League leaders Celtic at a windy Tynecastle.

Scott McDonald seemed to have earned victory for the champions when he slotted home following some suspect goalkeeping from Anthony Basso.

But Gary Caldwell was penalised for a push and substitute Velicka slotted home a deserved equaliser.

Steven Pressley and Darren O'Dea stepped in to a reshuffled Celtic defence for Lee Naylor and John Kennedy, who were injured in Wednesday's Champions League triumph over Shakhtar Donetsk, and coped well after a difficult start.

Pressley was making his first start of the season following back surgery and had to deal with the barracking of the home fans and a positive start by his former team-mates.

Hearts missed a great chance in the third minute after O'Dea, making only his third appearance of the campaign, sold himself to Laryea Kingston inside the Hearts half.

Kingston ran at the Celtic defence and his cutback was helped into the path of the unmarked Audrius Ksanavicius by Palazuelos, but the Lithuanian shot wide from 12 yards.

Palazuelos and Ibrahim Tall were impressing after recalls for the injured Eggert Jonsson and suspended Michael Stewart as Hearts enjoyed more possession in a scrappy opening.

Jiri Jarosik came close for Celtic in the 16th minute when he blasted just wide from 30 yards but Hearts still looked the more threatening team and Christophe Berra headed over from Kingston's back-post cross.

Andrew Driver came closer on the half-hour mark when his 25-yard free-kick curled just wide, but McDonald missed Celtic's best chance of the half moments later.

The Celtic striker and Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink had been well shackled by Tall and Berra but the Dutchman fed Aiden McGeady and the winger's low cross was blazed over by McDonald from 10 yards.

A slip by Caldwell on the edge of his box allowed Ksanavicius a shooting chance but he could not turn his effort on target from a tight angle.

The visitors enjoyed some better pressure towards the end of the half but the closest they came was when Caldwell headed over as he stretched to meet Paul Hartley's corner.

And Kingston shot over from a decent opportunity after Driver and Nade had linked well down the right.

McGeady sliced wide following a break from his own half after Pressley had blocked from Kingston as the second half began at a higher tempo. Artur Boruc came to his hesitant defence's rescue when he jumped out of his box to head clear Tall's up and under.

At the other end, Jose Goncalves scrambled clear after O'Dea's cross had just eluded Vennegoor of Hesselink.

Hearts were shading the territorial battle but goalmouth action was becoming scarce.

Velicka replaced Nade in the lone frontman role for Hearts but he saw his side fall behind to a soft goal in the 73rd minute.

Vennegoor of Hesselink won a free-kick 25 yards out after a tussle with Tall. Anthony Basso lost the flight of Hartley's curling effort as it held up in the wind and he palmed the ball into the path of McDonald, who hooked home his 15th goal of the season.

The Frenchman pushed away McGeady's 15-yard drive after a Hartley corner as the champions threatened to finish the game off.

Hearts made a double switch, taking off Palazuelos and Zaliukas for Calum Elliot and Saulius Mikoliunas.

They pushed Celtic back and got their reward when they were handed an injury-time penalty.

Boruc had pushed away a powerful strike by Ksananvicius and Kenny Clark ruled that Caldwell had pushed Tall as they went for the rebound, and Velicka found the corner to give Hearts a point.

Teams:

Hearts Basso, Neilson, Tall, Berra, Goncalves,Zaliukas (Elliot 79), Ksanavicius, Kingston,Palazuelos (Mikoliunas 79), Driver, Nade (Velicka 71).

Subs Not Used: Banks, Wallace, McGowan, Ivaskevicius.

Booked: Kingston, Palazuelos.

Goals: Velicka 90 pen.

Celtic Boruc, Caldwell, Pressley, McManus, O'Dea, McGeady,Scott Brown, Hartley, Jarosik,Vennegoor of Hesselink (Killen 88), McDonald.

Subs Not Used: Mark Brown, Zurawski, Donati, Sno, Riordan,

Caddis.

Goals: McDonald 73.

Att: 16,454

Ref: K Clark (Scotland).

Taken from sportinglife.com