CELTS UP FOR A SCRAP

Scorers: CELTIC: Vennegoor of Hesselink, McDonald, Hinkel

By Kenny MacDonald

CELTIC’S strikers continued their goal show as the clock ticks down to Wednesday’s Champions League clash with Barcelona.

Hitmen Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink and Scott McDonald, above, were among the goals again as Celts made it eight victories on the trot with a cruise control win.

New Bhoy Andreas Hinkel added a third to wrap up the win on a day when the biggest threat to Celtic again came from madcap keeper Artur Boruc.

Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti spoke on Friday of his admiration for the Pole and hasn’t ruled out a bid for the keeper.

But yesterday Boruc was in the headlines as he fell out with one of his own defenders once again.

With Celtic 2-0 up, Andrius Velicka had sent a drive narrowly wide of the post.

Boruc said his bit about the build-up, skipper Stephen McManus said his and both continued the heated debate with Gary Caldwell man in the middle of the by-now not unusual sight of two Celtic players squabbling like schoolkids.

On this occasion McManus put up a better case for the defence than Lee Naylor had when Boruc fell out with him during the Champions League qualifier against Spartak Moscow in August.

But there does appear to be a common denominator in it all. Wonder what Italian defenders will make of him?

It provided a lively ending to a humdrum second half, since the destination of the points had been settled the minute McDonald’s header put Celtic two up five minutes after the break.

Celtic had actually started the second half in the same pedestrian manner they’d ended the first.

Although a goal up thanks to Vennegoor of Hesselink, they’d dipped dramatically after that and a better side than Hearts would have punished them.

The restart was little better from the home point of view. Shunsuke Nakamura squandered possession on the edge of the Hearts box and a swift counter-attack saw Andy Driver accelerate away from Hinkel in a manner which will have had alarm bells ringing for the home side.

However, Driver’s attempt on goal at the end of the run was comfortably smothered by Boruc and Hearts immediately paid the price for the missed chance.

Nakamura made a more noteworthy contribution, side-stepping Jose Goncalves and forcing a good save from Steve Banks with a right-foot drive.

From the Japanese’s corner, McDonald had time and space to bullet a header home from four yards with Deividas Cesnauskis looking the guilty man who’d let the SPL’s top marksman wander out away from him.

McDonald’s goal record this season has been just terrific, and has provided a consistent riposte to those Celts fans who had a lukewarm reaction to his arrival even allowing for his title-snatching double against Celtic for Motherwell in May 2005.

The mystifying claim among some fans was that he wouldn’t be guaranteed a place in the side. That despite having shown his potency in scoring 15 SPL goals for Motherwell last season — more than any Celtic striker had managed on the way to the title.

To say he’s duly proved his worth — despite missing the first two games of the season through suspension — is putting it mildly.

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I wonder if his early-season detractors find his present total of 24 goals in 34 games acceptable. His header decided the contest, though Hinkel, above, finished off a nifty bit of interplay between Nakamura and Aiden McGeady to lash in the third.

After that Celts could bring on Georgios Samaras, who showed some nice touches and smacked a terrific left-footer off the post, and youngster Ben Hutchinson for his debut late on.

Celtic boss Gordon Strachan said: “It was a terrific display. We were playing a team who hadn’t lost a goal in their last three league games and who were in good form, so the players should take pride in themselves for that performance.”

Drubbing

Hearts boss Stevie Frail groaned: “We gave one of the smallest men on the park a free header for the second goal.”

His side, just as had been the case on their last visit to Parkhead, had started very sluggishly.

In August, skipper Christophe Berra’s ninth-minute own goal started a home rout which ended in a 5-0 drubbing.

They survived five minutes longer yesterday — but more through luck than design. Nakamura had already seen a free kick rebound from the post with Banks rooted to the spot and forced a save from the keeper before Celtic went in front.

McGeady was given time and space to work room for a cross and Vennegoor of Hesselink threw his lanky frame to get a toe-end to it and deflect it home as Banks came off his line to meet the ball.

It was the Dutchman’s sixth goal in 10 games. While plenty has been made of his perceived greater appetite since the arrival of the on-loan Samaras, his Celtic goal total — 23 in 42 league games — isn’t to be sniffed at.

For 20 minutes after the goal, Celtic switched off, repeatedly surrendering possession in midfield.

Audrius Ksanavicius’ dipping cross looped over Boruc and needed McManus’ clearance from practically underneath the crossbar to prevent it reaching the arriving Velicka.

Driver annoyed the home fans with a stupid attempt at a dive after he’d knocked the ball beyond the outcoming Boruc.

He made a more telling contribution when his drive was palmed weakly out by the keeper. Celtic were relieved when Velicka got to the loose ball but, with the angle against him, lashed it into the sidenetting.

It was a chance, albeit a difficult one, and Celtic went on to score the crucial second goal and take the points thanks to the best poacher in the SPL.

CELTIC: Boruc, Hinkel, Caldwell, McManus, Naylor, Nakamura, Brown, Donati (Robson 77), McGeady, McDonald (Hutchinson 86), Vennegoor of Hesselink (Samaras 72). Subs not used: Brown, O’Dea, Sno, Hartley.
HEARTS: Banks, Neilson, Karipidis, Berra, Goncalves, Cesnauskis (Mikoliunas 67), Palazuelos, Jonsson, Driver, Ksanavicius (Nade 72), Velicka. Subs not used: Basso, Wallace, Zaliukas, McCann, Elliot.