Hearts 1 - 1 Celtic

This was like a game of chess. Not in its adherence to the cerebral. Not in its devotion to strategy. It was like chess because it was boring to watch.

Nope, that does not quite cover it. To be at Tynecastle on Saturday without a supporter's scarf was a painful experience and not just because the temperature was as cool as Frank Sinatra singing both sides of Songs for Swinging Lovers in the freezer compartment of a very large fridge on a particularly brisk winter's evening in the Arctic.

A fan may have been warmed by the emotion of the occasion, the neutral observer was left to grope for meaning amid the debris of a thousand random collisions. The day started with Audrius Ksanavicius shooting wide and ended with the Hearts forward forcing Artur Boruc into a fine save that led to a penalty award that evened the scores. The hour and a half's play in between can most politely be described as unimaginative.

Both sides believe they should have won. Stevie Frail said Hearts had started the better and that his side deserved at least a point. Gordon Strachan was calm at the press conference but must have been fuming at the way a crucial victory was thrown away.

Both had a point and finished with one.

There were few incidents of significance. Ksanavicius should have scored in the third minute. Scott McDonald should have scored in the first half when Aiden McGeady found room to cross. Anthony Basso should not have allowed Paul Hartley's free-kick to drop to McDonald to open the scoring. Gary Caldwell should not have pushed Ibrahim Tall when Boruc parried Ksanavicius's shot. The penalty award was correct. Andrius Velicka scored competently from the spot.

There are a few other points that briefly detained the observer. For Hearts, Laryea Kingston caught the eye but has had more productive days. Christophe Berra is maturing into a good centre-half who should soon be tested at international level. Andrew Driver gave Darren O'Dea a testing time in the first half before the young Irishman came on to a game. This was an examination O'Dea passed.

Jiri Jarosik continued to impress if ever so quietly, although his performance dipped in the second half. Scott Brown had a poor game. There was a spell in the second half when he threatened to come good but he made two wrong choices when in possession and fell back into uncharacteristic mediocrity.

Hartley is beginning to have a fine season after his early travails at Celtic Park. Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink is not. There was not one moment on Saturday when he threatened the Hearts goal. Strachan may have a decision to make over the Dutch forward.

The question, until recently, has been who should partner Vennegoor of Hesselink. It may now be who should replace him, if only temporarily. McDonald scored, again. He is becoming crucial to Celtic's hopes of success this season unless a rejuvenated Maciej Zurawski can make a return to the side.

After McDonald knocked in from Basso's fumble, it seemed Celtic were on their way to three points.

However, the Australian was one of a trio of Celtic players who conspired to lose possession in midfield for the ball eventually to hang in the air over Tall.

It did not seem to present an unmissable opportunity for the Hearts player but Caldwell's push was rightly punished.

Stalemate, then. But Strachan would have been forgiven for overturning the chessboard in a display of understandable pique.

12:44am Monday 3rd December 2007

By HUGH MacDONALD, Chief Sportswriter

Taken from the Herald