Heart of Midlothian 1-3 Celtic

(Holt 56' - Commons 18', Stokes 63', Pukki 85')
From Hearts Media at Tynecastle.

Hearts went down 3-1 at home to Celtic on Saturday afternoon.

A controversial penalty awarded against Jamie Hamill saw Celtic open the scoring through Kris Commons before Jason Holt equalised in the second half. The visitors went on to win however through goals from Anthony Stokes and Teemu Pukki.

The Jambos went 4-3-3 with Danny Wilson and Kevin McHattie returning from suspension which meant Jamie Hamill moved into the centre of midfield, while Billy King slotted into the right wing.

Hearts were first to hit the target after five minutes. Virgil Dan Dijk was penalised for handball and McHattie's 20 yard free kick curled round the wall but brought out a smart stop from Fraser Forster, who pushed the ball out to safety at his right hand post.

Commons came close for the visitors on 13 minutes when he volleyed clean over at the penalty spot from Derek Boerrigter's cross as play was evenly matched.

That all changed however when referee Willie Collum awarded Celtic a penalty after 17 minutes. Commons headed into Hamill's outstretched arm inside the box, and despite the Hearts man being mid-air and unable to get out of the way from the ball, the referee pointed to the spot. Commons stepped up and duly netted.

Celtic, buoyed by their opener, searched for a second. Anthony Stokes cut inside a drilled a shot from 25 yards but the ball swerved away from Macdonald's right hand post and behind.

The Hearts no. 1 produced a great diving save to prevent a long range Adam Matthews drive on 34 minutes as the visitors looked more in control. That didn't stop the Jambos from digging in however as they too broke up the pitch in search of an equaliser, but too often were undone by their own slack passing.

By half time the atmosphere inside Tynecastle was electric as Hearts went inside still very much in the game.

Both teams emerged from the break looking positive but it was the Jam Tarts who got back on level terms after 56 minutes. Some Jamie Walker trickery on the edge of the box saw him cut back to Holt on the edge of the D and little magician struck a sweet low shot past the outstretched Forster and into the back of the net.

Though Hearts pressed forward it was Celtic who got back in front six minutes later. A Georgios Samaras header was flicked on by Commons into the path of Stokes who powered into the box and stabbed the ball beyond Macdonald to make it 2-1.

The visitors should've grabbed their third in the 71st minute. Boerrigter's looping cross found Samaras unmaked at the back post but his first time volley ballooned over the bar.

The third did arrive five minutes before full time courtesy of some wonderful running by Stokes. He got to the byeline and, despite being fortunate to keep the ball in play, picked out substitute Pukki with an inch perfect lob for the no. 20 to nod home inside the six yard box.

Celtic left Gorgie with all three points but the Jambos did not look out of sorts, indeed the scoreline perhaps flattered Neil Lennon's men and all eyes will be on the controversial opening goal which gave Hearts a mountain to climb from early on in the game.

Hearts: Macdonald; McGowan, McKay, Wilson, McHattie; Holt (Carrick, 72'), Robinson, Hamill; B. King (Smith, 65'), Paterson, Walker. Subs not used: Ridgers, McGhee, Tapping, Nicholson, Oliver.

Celtic: Forster, Matthews (Samaras, 43'), Izaguirre, Ambrose, Van Dijk, Brown, Stokes, Boerrigter, Commons (Pukki, 71'), Ledley (Mulgrew, 65'), Lustig. Subs not used: Zaluksa, Balde, Rogic, Atajuc.

Referee: Willie Collum

Top man: Kevin McHattie

Hearts World