Nick Harris

Shaun Maloney scored a contender for goal of the Scottish Premier League season at Tynecastle yesterday to help put Celtic back to the top of the table and boost the injury-hit side's confidence ahead of Wednesday's Champions League match with Manchester United.

Hearts were poor, created little and ended the game with 10 men after Maruis Zaliukas was sent off early in the second half.

Maloney opened the scoring after a free-kick from Andreas Hinkel on the right was punched clear by the Hearts goalkeeper, Janos Balogh. Maloney was standing around 25 yards out and in the middle of the pitch as the ball dipped to his feet. He made the sweetest of first-time connections to welly it into the top right-hand corner.

Celtic extended their lead from a corner, taken by Paul Hartley. Barry Robson's headed flick-on supplied Scott McDonald, whose own header was palmed out and Gary Caldwell, having kept the ball in play with his arm, scrambled in.

The match officials either did not see the use of the arm or adjudged that it was ball to arm and unintentional.

Celtic benefited from another decision when McDonald, dashing on to a through ball in the area, was bundled over by Zaliukas. Hartley took the resulting spot kick and hammered it low and wide of the left post.

"We started in top gear with determination not to get beat, and to be physical,"� said the Celtic manager, Gordon Strachan, who was without his two main strikers through injury. Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink nor Georgios Samaras are also unavailable in midweek. A similar "top gear and physical"� approach for 90 minutes will be needed against United, who Strachan calls "the best team in the world".

Hearts will carry out an investigation after Strachan was involved in a confrontation with a home supporter after the game. It is thought that someone from corporate hospitality verbally abused Strachan as he came out from a media briefing.

A Hearts official said: "An investigation has started and once the individual has been identified, appropriate action will be taken."

Goals: Maloney (7) 0-1; Caldwell (20) 0-2.

Heart of Midlothian (4-1-4-1): Balogh; Jonsson, Zaliukas, Berra, Wallace; Karipidis; Cesnauskis (Mikoliunas, 35), Stewart, Aguiar (Palazuelos, 79), Driver; Nade (Mole, 59). Substitutes not used: MacDonald, Makela, Thomson, Ksanavicius.

Celtic (4-4-2): Boruc; Hinkel, Caldwell, McManus, Wilson; Brown, Hartley, Robson (Donati, 78), Maloney (McGeady, 67); Sheridan, McDonald (McCourt, 89). Substitutes not used: Brown (gk), Nakamura, O'Dea, Caddis.

Referee: C Thomson.

Booked: Celtic Hartley.

Sent off: Hearts Zaliukas (51)

Man of the match: Robson.

Attendance: 15,467.

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