Hearts 2-1 Celtic Match Report

The champions slumped to a dissapointing defeat at Tynecastle on Sunday in a tempestuous match to fall behind the early pacesetters at the top of the SPL. The impressive Roman Bednar scored twice and was unfortunate not get a deserved a hat-trick as Hearts shown their early championship credentials and send out a message that they mean business this season.

Celtic fielded the same eleven that had won handsomely the previous weekend against Kilmarnock as Strachan opted to leave captain Lennon out of the starting line-up despite being free from suspension. Robbie Neilson and Takis Fyssas were notable Hearts absentees, replaced by Ibrahim Tall and Lee Wallace as Hearts look towards a vital Champions League qualifier in mid-week. There was even a last-minute change of referee as Stuart Dougal took charge over Kenny Clark who was suffering from a back injury.

After a frantic start with few clear goalscoring opportunities, Bruno Aguiar's flighted free-kick from the left that has headed past the post by Bednar. Just before the half-hour mark, Tall was replaced by Neilson, after the Senegalese international seemed to catch his studs in the turf.

It took Celtic 42 minutes to have their first direct attempt on the Hearts goal. Kenny Miller shot low from 20 yards, but it was a comfortable save for Craig Gordon. The highlight of the first half sadly took place off the field as Strachan and McGlynn became embroiled in a heated touchline debate after the game was stopped for Julien Brellier to receive treatment for a facial injury that the player had made a meal of. Despite Tall's injury looking far more serious, Hearts continued to play on and Dougal didn't stop the play. However, on this occassion despite Celtic in a promising position the game was stopped by the referee causing the touchline unrest. After consulting his fourth official, referee Dougal decided to send both Strachan and McGlynn to the stand despite Strachan appearing to have done nothing untoward.

The second-half was a vast improvement on the first as the Hearts players emerged from the dressing room pumped up for the victory. Early in the second-half Bednar spurned an easy header but he soon atoned for this earlier miss. Bednar outstripped the Celtic defence and lashed an excellent angled left-foot shot past Artur Boruc in off the post leaving the Polish no.1 absolutely no chance.

Bednar was then very unfortunate not to double Hearts lead as the striker had a legitimate goal ruled offside. Replays shown that the player was at least a yard onside and it wasn't long before the home team would be cursing their luck.

Celtic pounced with a sweeping move after 65th minutes to level the game. It was a magnificent team goal involving Shunsuke Nakamara, Kenny Miller and Aiden McGeady which was finished superbly by Petrov whose first-time drive drove the ball into the top corner of the net. The entire move took only 19 seconds as Celtic raced from one end of the park to the other with a goal worthy of champions.

Celtic threw away all three points with only minutes remaining when rare substitute Neil Lennon's dreadful back pass was intercepted by Bednar. The Czech marksman shown great composure as he rounded Boruc before calmly sidefooting the winner into the Celtic net. It was no more than Hearts deserved and leaves Gordon Strachan some food for thought over the coming weeks.


Hearts:

Gordon

Tall(Neilson 27) Pressley Berra Wallace

Mikoliunas Aguiar Brellier McCann(Cesnauskis 63)

Bednar Pospisil(Makela 83)

Subs Not Used: Banks, Beslija, Elliot, Karipidis.

Goals:
Bednar 49, 87.


Celtic:

Boruc

Telfer Caldwell McManus Wilson

Nakamura(Pearson 71) Jarosik Petrov McGeady

Zurawski Miller(Lennon 66)

Subs Not Used: McGovern, Riordan, Sno, Wallace, O'Dea.

Goal:
Petrov 65.


Attendance: 16,822

Referee: S Dougal