Ian Black leads Hearts to victory as Celtic's Joe Ledley is sent off

Scottish Premier
Hearts 2

* Black 29,
* Templeton 58

Celtic 0

* Ewan Murray at Tynecastle
* guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 10 November 2010 21.45 GMT

Hearts' David Templeton scores their second goal in the 2-0 win against Celtic Hearts' David Templeton scores their second goal in the 2-0 win against Celtic. Photograph: David Moir/Reuters

Neil Lennon's visits to Tynecastle as a Celtic player were never placid occasions. His second trip to this part of Edinburgh as the manager of the Parkhead club followed that colourful pattern.

These proved damaging 90 minutes for Celtic and Lennon. The Irishman watched the game's final stages from the main stand after being sent-off for protesting rather too wildly about the non-award of a penalty. This spat between Celtic and officialdom shows no sign of abating.

More worryingly for Lennon, Hearts had all but secured three points by that juncture. Celtic had been reduced to 10 men immediately before the Edinburgh side's second goal, Joe Ledley earning a dismissal for an uncharacteristically dangerous tackle.

Rangers' 3-0 home defeat to Hibernian aside, Celtic will want to forget this night in a hurry. Hearts, conversely, completed their finest four-day spell in quite some time. This lunchtime, further cheer will arrive at Tynecastle as £10m is wiped from their debt with ratification of an equity swap undertaken by their Lithuania-based parent company.

Neither team could have entered what is always an eagerly awaited encounter in a much more positive mood. Celtic's 9-0 demolition of Aberdeen on Saturday was a record victory for the Scottish Premier League; something that, while due in part to the north-east team's dismal showing, was another demonstration of the attacking touch implemented by Lennon.

A day later, Hearts claimed the honours in the Edinburgh derby. Seldom does anybody at Tynecastle need extra motivation for the visit of Celtic, the prospect of building on that comfortable win over Hibernian merely an added factor this time around.

The hosts should have taken an early lead. Ismaël Bouzid had already passed up a fine chance from a Rudi Skacel corner – rather, the centre-half was unaware the ball had landed at his feet – by the time Stephen Elliott headed on to the Celtic crossbar from point-blank range. Rubén Palazuelos had been the architect of the chance, with a fine cross that David Templeton knocked into Elliott's path.

The continuation of that pressure meant Hearts' opening goal was merited, even if fortune played a significant part in its arrival. Ian Black's drive from 25 yards took a wicked deflection off Daniel Majstorovic's head in deceiving the Celtic goalkeeper, Fraser Forster.

Gary Hooper attempted to respond for the visitors, but in the wrong fashion. The Celtic striker, in seeking to win a penalty, was cautioned for diving over a challenge from the Hearts goalkeeper, Marian Kello. As machinations between Celtic and the Scottish FA rumble on, such scenarios only add grist to the mill.

Lennon could at least credit Hooper with invention. That apart, Celtic were utterly abject as an attacking force during the opening half. A Hearts error handed them their sole opportunity of note during that period, meaningful though it was, as a slip by Marius Zaliukas permitted Hooper a shot at goal from six yards. Kello, the outstanding performer of Hearts' season, saved smartly with his feet.

Lennon's half-time message doubtless included the message that Hibs had taken a surprise, 2-0 lead at Ibrox. Whatever the strong words in the visiting dressing room, Ledley took them a little too literally.

The former Cardiff City midfielder, who had been anonymous until that point, stepped into the game in the very moment he stepped out of it. Ledley's two-footed lunge on Black, on the halfway line, deserved a red card despite Lennon's strong protestations to the contrary. Black limped from the field in completing his evening's work shortly afterwards.

Celtic's anger was compounded almost instantly. Skacel supplied a cross from the left which Templeton strode on to before knocking the ball beyond Forster at the back post. Jos Hooiveld, the Celtic centre-half, had made a failed attempt to cut out Skacel's pass.

Lennon's rage only intensified as the referee, Craig Thomson, turned down Celtic's appeal that the Hearts substitute Ryan Stevenson handled inside his own penalty area. Television pictures appeared to show the Celtic manager had a case but the vociferous nature of his claims led to him being sent to the stands for the first time in his tenure.

A miserable sojourn east for Celtic was thereby complete. Hearts, who secured only their second home win of the SPL campaign, were perfect value for it.

Taken from the Guardian/Observer