Hearts 0-2 Celtic

Nov 3 2008 By Keith Jackson

TWO sides hurtling in opposite directions crashed head on at Tynecastle yesterday. One skipped away without a scratch. The other was left in a state of carnage.

Seldom in recent years has the road between Glasgow's East End and Gorgie seemed quite so long or as perilous for a Hearts team now engulfed in a full blown, on- the-pitch crisis.

Yesterday they capitulated before Celtic had time to open up on them properly. That's now seven games without a win but, most alarming of all, was the overwhelming nature of this latest defeat.

Gordon Strachan and his players could have climbed on to the team bus at half time so complete was their control.

They were miles better than a Hearts side which is now dangerously devoid of confidence and belief. Decay has set in on Csaba Laszlo's dressing room and it's stinking the place out.

They were behind after only six minutes when Shaun Maloney produced something special to fire the champions into the lead.

And it was all over in 19 minutes when Gary Caldwell stabbed the ball in after some diabolically bad Hearts defending and a blunder by officials who failed to spot the scorer using a hand before bundling the ball over the line

But it mattered not a jot. Hearts - who it seems have forgotten how to score - were utterly inept. They are a shadow of their former selves and were incapable of coming back from one goal down let alone two.

Tynecastle just ain't what it used to be.

As ever, even though it was not quite bursting at the seams, the old place provided an almost perfect setting.

The winter sunshine spilled in through a corner of the stadium at kick-off time, lighting the place up in dazzling shards of gold but it was Laszlo and his players who were left dazed and groping hopelessly around for a lifeline.

They fell behind in the sixth minute when Hungarian keeper Janos Balogh opted to come off his line to meet a free-kick from Andreas Hinkel.

He probably ought to have left it to his defenders but chose to hurl himself over a cluster of bodies and managed only to punch the ball out to Maloney lurking with intent some 25 yards from goal.

The little man was quick to size up the situation and, realising that Balogh was stranded let fly with a thumping first-time drive which was thwacking the back of the Hearts net before the keeper had time to get repositioned.

Laszlo wondered how he could be behind before his team had even got started. And, without doing a great deal wrong, their situation would soon become even more bleak.

Celtic's second goal came shortly after the home fans had howled for a penalty as they saw Bruno Aguiar's free-kick smash into a Celtic wall.

They were convinced it had struck an arm but ref Craig Thomson had a clear view and correctly waved play on.

But Thomson would then fail to spot an even more significant handball offence at the other end as Caldwell bundled his side into a two-goal lead.

This time Balogh did stay on his line as Paul Hartley whipped in a corner from the left.

As his defenders watched, Barry Robson - who was outstanding in Celtic's midfield - was allowed to flick a free header towards goal.

Balogh was the only Hearts player alive to the danger because little Scott McDonald was also able to hurl himself at the ball as it flashed across the six- yard box and although the Aussie seemed a certain scorer his header was superbly saved by the keeper at pointblank range.

But despite Balogh's heroic effort, Caldwell pounced on the scraps, using a hand and a post to keep the ball in play before hooking it over the line. With just 19 minutes on the clock, Hearts - on the back of a four-game losing streak and with just one win since August - were dead and buried.

Yes, they worked hard and even applied sustained pressure to Celtic's defence for the rest of the first half - but they attacked without teeth. It was as if they were hoping to suck Celtic into submission.

Andy Driver did come close with a crisply struck free-kick but that was as near as they would come.

These are depressing times for the home supporters who knew the game was up already and resorted to some good old-fashioned Celtic baiting to get through the day.

Back on the park, Deividas Cesnauskis was struggling with an injury and about to limp out of the action and be replaced by fellow Lithuanian Saulius Mikoliunas.

But this switch made little difference to Hearts who continued to leave Artur Boruc completely untroubled in Celtic's goal.

Just six minutes into the second half a bad day became even worse for Laszlo and his side as another Lithuanian, Marius Zaliukas, was invited to leave the pitch by Thomson, leaving Hearts down to 10 men.

The defender had been outstripped by McDonald who went scurrying through onto a flick from strikemate Cillian Sheridan and who was about to bustle his way in on top of keeper Balogh.

Zaliukas dragged McDonald back by the arm and sent him sprawling - then mustered his best 'who me?' face as Thomson flashed a red card after pointing to the spot.

McDonald wanted to take it and did not look too chuffed when Hartley claimed responsibility. So when Hartley screwed the kick wide of Balogh's right-hand post McDonald's face was like thunder.

Laszlo wasn't much happier. He reacted by replacing Christian Nade with Jamie Mole. He also angered the home fans by giving derby hero Aguiar the hook near the end and sending on Ruben Palazuelos.

Although the faces changed the end result remained the same. Even when Hearts were seeing a lot of the ball they were doing little with it.

The closest they came in the second half was a flashing header from skipper Christophe Berra that crashed wide of Boruc's left-hand post.

Celtic were cruising towards victory and McDonald could have grabbed a goal for himself with a terrific turn and shot but Balogh was well positioned to make the save.

Strachan replaced Maloney with Aiden McGeady and was feeling so relaxed he even sent Massimo Donati on for Robson and Paddy McCourt for McDonald as the clock ticked down.

This had been a great deal easier than he could have anticipated.

MAN OF THE MATCH
Barry Robson (Celtic)

Taken from the Daily Record