SPL: Hearts 0 Celtic 3

May 12 2011
celtic striker gary hooper fires celtic 2-0 ahead against hearts

JUST when you thought it couldn't get any crazier, it did. The good, the bad and the ugly of SPL football was played out in a boiling Tynecastle cauldron last night.

At times it was horrible and the worst incident of all occurred in the second half when a moron was allowed to burst from the main stand.

His target was Celtic manager Neil Lennon but thankfully he was restrained and dragged off down the tunnel.

The shameful act served only to stir the venom with both sets of fans spitting hate at each other.

Amid the madness Celtic kept their title hopes alive. Gary Hooper was at his best, striking brilliantly either side of half-time to set up a dramatic, final-day shootout.

Kris Commons weighed in with his 14th goal since joining the Hoops but the Scotland star will miss Sunday's vital last-day clash with Motherwell after collecting his second yellow card of the game for going to the ecstatic fans to celebrate.

But Hearts had long since been reduced to 10 men themselves, David Obua having been sent off for a seemingly innocuous clash with Charlie Mulgrew.

When the dust finally settled on this Gorgie powderkeg, Lennon and his players were able to savour a priceless triumph in their battle for the flag.

Suddenly everything boils down to Sunday. Rangers lead by a single point as they head to Kilmarnock. Stand by, the helicopter.

The defending champions' win over Dundee United at Ibrox on Tuesday laid it bang on the line for Lennon. Winning was the only option.

Vladimir Romanov, as expected, let Marian Kello and Marius Zaliukas play and Eggert Jonsson was also available after Hearts appealed his Ibrox red card.

They were significant changes in the line-up and Lennon didn't shy from big decisions, either.

Georgios Samaras was handed a first start since his penalty nightmare against Rangers, Glenn Loovens was in central defence and Mulgrew was left of midfield as Lennon added strength to combat the physical power of the hosts.

United's 2-0 reverse at Ibrox had, of course, secured a Europa League spot for Jefferies' crew and, with the pressure off, their fans turned up the heat.

This was the 25th anniversary of Celtic pinching a title from them on the last day of 1986 and, with accusations flying along the M8 in the build-up, Hearts wanted payback.

Tynecastle was a cauldron to unnerve weak individuals and, if this title race was to go to Sunday, it was clear Celtic would need to stand tall.

To the delight of Lennon, his men had the answers and the backbone. Zaliukas made two heroic blocks to deny Daniel Majstorovic and Hooper in the box and Commons fizzed a cracker wide from 25 yards in a frantic opening.

Celtic didn't look like they would need a helping hand at that stage but they got one anyway after just 11 minutes when Zaliukas undid his earlier good work by gifting possession to Commons.

The winger took a touch and reversed a pass into Hooper to give the striker a one-on-one with Kello.
celtic striker gary hooper is mobbed by teammates after his goal at tynecastle

Tension? Not judging by the hitman's calm stroke beyond the Slovak to give his side a dream start.

Lennon couldn't have asked for a better start and his team was relentless.

It was almost two when Kello fumbled Commons' shot from the edge of the box on to a post and the dangerman drove wide when the loose ball was cut back into the centre by Mark Wilson.

Hearts were under the cosh. They were looking ragged and 13 minutes before the break they were raging when Obua was red-carded.

Mulgrew's block on the midfielder as he ushered a ball out of play was not appreciated and the Ugandan appeared to raise an arm in the direction of the Celt.

Ref Craig Thomson didn't see it but assistant Keith Sorbie gave his version of events and Obua was off.

It didn't look much and Jefferies couldn't contain his anger as he fumed at the linesman with this pressure-cooker close to exploding.

Mercifully, the lid stayed on the pot until the half-time break.

But as the teams disappeared for the interval there was no way of believing this one was calm or indeed over as Thomson and his team were given dogs' abuse as they headed down the tunnel.

Celtic had done everything Lennon had asked of them in the first period. They were strong and skilful but Hearts were fired by a deep sense of injustice at the Obua red card and the stage was set for a titanic second-period collision.

What we got was something simply extraordinary and, at times, ugly.

It took five minutes for the title chasers to put the game to bed with a strike of stunning quality from Hooper.

Wilson, Commons and Ki-Sung Yueng were all involved in a clever move before the striker showed more of his finishing class with an instinctive strike to beat Kello from 14 yards.

It was beautiful then it turned horrible. In the aftermath of the goal, that lunatic appeared from the main stand and charged towards Celtic's technical area.

He was grabbed and dealt with instantly while Lennon reacted with rage. It blew the roof off. A fight broke out in the Celtic end as angered fans clashed with police and stewards over a separate incident in the Roseburn Stand.

The air was filled with tension, the chants turned dodgy and you could feel hate all around.

Thankfully, the madness relented for the closing stages but there was still time for yet another astonishing final chapter.

Just moments after being booked for simulation by Thomson, Commons drove into the Hearts box and fired beyond Kello for a sublime and sealing third goal.

The winger wandered into his own fans to celebrate - and was promptly shown a second yellow card by the ref for leaving the field of play to rule him out of the final-day clash with Motherwell.

Even Jefferies shook his head and consoled Commons. It was that sort of night.

Taken from the Daily Record