Hearts 0-7 Celtic

Kris Commons' hat-trick helped Celtic trounce Hearts to progress to the last 16 of the Scottish Cup and soothe the pain of this week's European exit.

Commons' angled shot went in off the post before he netted a second after Charlie Mulgrew's quick thinking.

Celtic captain Scott Brown tapped in a third and Joe Ledley benefited from Mikael Lustig's cross to score again.

Lustig's screamer made it five, Commons scored a penalty and Brown completed Celtic's record win over Hearts.

It was an emphatic statement from Neil Lennon's side, who will hope the prospect of a league and cup double can serve as reasonable salve for a season that will be short of European competition once their meaningless remaining Champions League Group H game in Barcelona has been completed.
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Their seven goals against Hearts did not include any from an out-and-out striker but Lennon, taking charge of his 200th Hoops game, said afterwards it was the best performance in his time at the helm.

For Hearts, the knock-on effects of the penalties issued for entering administration were plain to see.

A 15-point deduction in the Premiership was accompanied by a transfer embargo that has left manager Gary Locke having to pick from a young, inexperienced squad and that was the telling factor on this occasion.

Quite how the Tynecastle teenagers will recover from this thrashing will become evident when they travel to Tannadice to face Dundee United on Saturday.
Finish it!
Kris Commons

Neil Lennon bemoaned Celtic's profligacy versus Milan but his side scored with seven of their 11 shots on target at Tynecastle.

Commons' hat-trick began after a neat one-two between Anthony Stokes and Ledley saw the latter play him in to whip a shot across Jamie MacDonald and in off the post.

Signs of a Hearts collapse were not immediately evident, however, as Jamie Hamill whistled a drive wide from 20 yards.

The former Kilmarnock midfielder then had to block Nir Biton's effort at the other end before Commons struck again.

Having rippled one corner of MacDonald's net, the former Scotland international fizzed the ball into the other side following a quick free-kick by Mulgrew that caught Hearts unaware.

Callum Paterson then chose to shoot from 20 yards instead of playing in Ryan Stevenson, another opportunity the Jambos would rue not taking.

MacDonald tipped over Commons' wonderful chip to prevent a first-half hat-trick but the third goal was on its way.

A perfect long ball from Mulgrew was instantly controlled by Stokes in the box. The Irishman fed Ledley whose left-foot strike rebounded off the inside of the post and into the path of Brown to finish off.
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Wales international Ledley did not have long to wait for a goal of his own, though, arriving at the back post to convert Lustig's swift centre.

And provider then turned scorer once again, in brilliant fashion, as Lustig's tremendous right-footed strike flew in via the underside of MacDonald's crossbar.

A slaloming run by Jamie Walker almost produced a Hearts consolation after the break before a slightly harsh decision by referee Willie Collum led to Celtic's sixth.

Danny Wilson's arm certainly connected with Commons' shot in the box but it looked unintentional. Commons stepped up to complete his hat-trick from the spot.

Brown's second of the afternoon completed the rout when his drive from the edge of the area deflected in off Jordan McGhee.

Taken from the BBC