Celtic 3-0 Hearts
By Clive Lindsay

Hearts were left fuming by the first two goals as Celtic ended Saturday still ahead of Rangers at the top of the Scottish Premier League.

Suso had sent a drive against a Celtic post, but Hearts were caught out as Daryl Murphy broke clear and his cross was turned in by James Forrest.

The visitors thought Shaun Maloney was also offside before he rounded goalkeeper Marian Kello to score.

Paddy McCourt settled it with a mazy run and finish late in the second half.

Neil Lennon's 12th consecutive league win as Celtic manager - the fourth of this season - kept his side ahead of Rangers on goal difference after the champions' win over Hamilton Accies earlier in the day.

And, despite the controversy, it was a deserved win that ended Hearts' unbeaten league record this season.

Anthony Stokes had made his Celtic debut after arriving from Hibernian, replacing Georgios Samaras beside Murphy up front.
Paddy McCourt celebrates his goal
McCourt rounded off the game with a fine individual goal

And the Irishman was first to threaten a goal, finishing off a flowing move by driving just wide of the post.

Celtic, perhaps buoyed by the enthusiastic minute's applause to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the death of legendary Celtic manager Jock Stein, had made an energetic start.

Kevin Kyle should have scored with an 18th-minute header for Hearts when he was left unmarked at a corner, but goalkeeper Fraser Forster saved well at the back post.

Forster then had to tip a Ryan Stevenson cross-cum-shot over the crossbar as the visitors took heart.

Suso sent a 20-yard drive off the outside of the upright, but Celtic immediately broke upfield and took the lead as they breached a defence in which midfielder Ruben Palazuelos was deputising at left-back for the injured Lee Wallace.

Daryl Murphy picked the ball up wide on the right and, with Hearts claiming for offside, Darren Barr's attempt to clear the Irishman's ball across the face of goal struck Forrest and crossed the line.

The strength of Jim Jefferies' protests led to the Hearts manager being sent to the stand.

Without his growled instructions from the touchline, the Edinburgh side appeared to lose their way as they played a kamikaze offside trap.

Forrest had already broken clear only to miss the waiting Maloney with his cross when the latter was found by a Stokes through ball before skipping past Kello.

Hearts again thought the flag should have gone up against the Scotland forward and their disappointment would have heightened had Kello not blocked a 15-yard Stokes drive with his legs.

The visitors had not learned their lesson as Celtic created the first chance of the second half, Murphy breaking clear only for Kello to save at the striker's feet.

Maloney ought to have put the game beyond Hearts but dallied on the ball five yards out before being swamped by the visitors' defence.

Hearts had claims for a penalty rejected when David Templeton was challenged on the edge of the box by Emilio Izaguirre and Suso immediately forced Forster to push clear following the winger's powerful 16-yard drive.

From his position in the stand, Jefferies sent four men forward, but his side were caught out at the back again and Samaras was ruled offside after breaking clear before rolling the ball into the net and the Greece forward was then denied by a good Kello save.

McCourt finished the game with a flourish, the substitute picking the ball up wide on the left and beating three players before dinking it over Kello.

Taken from the BBC