Hearts planted the Bank of Scotland Premier League championship race back in
the grateful hands of Rangers after snatching a shock victory at Celtic Park.
With one Old Firm game left to go at Ibrox after the split, Alex McLeish's men
will have the unexpected opportunity go a point clear at the top with a win at
Motherwell on Sunday.
And they had John Robertson's men and, in particular, former Celtic striker
Mark Burchill to thank.
Lee Miller headed the Edinburgh outfit into an early lead before setting up
Burchill to give them a two-goal advantage at the break.
The home side never recovered from that in a dress rehearsal for next week's
Tennent's Scottish Cup semi-final at Hampden Park and Robertson, whose future is
not absolutely certain under new chief executive Phil Anderton, left Celtic Park
with a big smile on his face.
Celtic started confidently but their fans were stunned into silence after just
eight minutes when the visitors snatched the lead against the run of play.
David Marshall, back in for injured Robert Douglas for the first time since
November 10, did brilliantly to keep out Andy Webster's point-blank header, from
Marius Kizys' free-kick, but Miller reacted quicker than the sleeping home
defence to head home the rebound.
The Glasgow giants reacted instantly and Hearts had Steven Pressley and Robbie
Nielsen booked, the latter for bringing down in-form Craig Bellamy outside the
box.
From the resulting free-kick, Aiden McGeady curled an inviting ball into the
box but John Hartson headed over from just six yards.
Hearts were let off the hook in the 17th minute when Alan Thompson's dangerous
corner was allowed to fly across the face of goal.
Bobo Balde looked surprised to see it arrive and he completely missed a golden
chance to pull Celtic back on level terms.
And the home side were emphatically punished three minutes later with Burchill
ruthlessly coming back to haunt them.
Miller played a perfectly-weighted ball through to Burchill after a Stephane
Henchoz mistake.
Stanislav Varga gave him far too much room and the former Portsmouth striker
coolly steered his right-foot shot past Marshall and into the bottom corner.
Hartson had the ball in the net moments later when he headed Thompson's
free-kick across Craig Gordon and into the far corner but the linesman had his
flag up for offside.
Controversial referee Dallas, who is no stranger to both teams, had his book
out again in the 24th minute after booking Neil MacFarlane for pulling back
Thompson.
The home side continued to pile on the pressure as Gordon got down well to
save Hartson's shot from eight yards and Varga headed Thompson's cross wide from
close range.
Bellamy always looked capable of doing something special with his pace but his
cross was too powerful in the 34th minute and Hartson could only head over the
top.
O'Neill made a change in the 36th minute by bringing on the attacking flair of
Ross Wallace for off-the-pace Henchoz.
But it was Bellamy who continued to pose the biggest threat and he fired the
ball across the face of goal, four minutes before the interval.
Stilian Petrov attempted to reduce the deficit at half-time but Gordon pushed
away his stinging long-range drive.
Wallace should have made it 2-1 in stoppage time after Bellamy had played him
clean through but he dragged his shot wide of the post with Gordon well beaten.
Chairman Brian Quinn was jeered by a section of the home crowd at the break
following O'Neill's insistence that he needs more money to make a mark in the
Champions League.
Celtic were also looking to make life as uncomfortable as possible for Hearts
in the second half as they pushed forward in search of goals.
That left big gaps at the back, however, and Burchill could have scored a
second in the 50th minute but he pulled his right-foot shot wide from 19 yards.
Celtic were becoming increasingly desperate and Varga chose to let fly with a
shot from 30 yards which Gordon comfortably caught and then saved from McGeady.
The Scotland goalkeeper also saved Hartson's header before Robertson brought
on Calum Elliot for the injured Burchill.
And Gordon also pulled off a great save to deny the Welshman in the 62nd
minute as he acrobatically threw himself in the air to tip another header over.
Hearts continued to produce the heroics in defence as MacFarlane
deflected Bellamy's drive behind and then Hartson headed wide at the back post.
Kizys could have killed the game off in the 68th minute but he poked the ball
just past the upright from eight yards with Marshall beaten.
Miller could also have wrapped up the points in the 78th minute but completely
missed Elliot's ball across the face of goal.
Webster then headed just wide of the far post three minutes later after being
picked out at the back by Hamill.
Bellamy could have made it an anxious final five minutes for a jubilant Hearts
but he blazed over from eight yards out, summing up Celtic's miserable day.
Teams
Celtic Marshall, Henchoz (Wallace 36), Balde, Varga, McNamara,
Lennon, Petrov, Thompson, McGeady (Maloney 68), Bellamy,
Hartson.
Subs Not Used: Hedman, Sylla, Valgaeren, Fernandez, Lambert.
Hearts Gordon, Neilson, Pressley, Webster,
McAllister (Simmons 77), MacFarlane, Kizys (Stewart 72),
Hamill, Wallace, Burchill (Elliot 62), Miller.
Subs Not Used: Moilanen, Wyness, Berra, Cesnauskis.
Booked: Pressley, Neilson, MacFarlane.
Goals: Miller 8, Burchill 19.
Att: 59,562
Ref: H Dallas (Scotland).
E-mail Article 
Print-Friendly
Subscribe to RSS Feed 
Post to del.icio.us
Facebook