Dmac
04-30-2006, 05:43 PM
Hearts 3-0 Celtic
http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/9476/41619658heartsceleb2707zq.jpg
Hearts took a massive step towards clinching second place in the SPL as they crushed champions Celtic.
Two goals in the opening 10 minutes gave them the perfect start.
Stephen McManus headed a Paul Hartley free-kick into his own goal before Hartley curled another past Artur Boruc as the keeper set up his wall.
McManus and Roy Keane both missed sitters for Celtic, but Roman Bednar rounded off the win, clipping the ball over Boruc as he rushed out of goal.
The result could have been different had McManus done better with a glorious chance inside two minutes, but he shot tamely at Craig Gordon despite finding himself unmarked just seven yards out.
Having failed to find the net at one end, McManus succeeded at the other end just five minutes later.
Hartley whipped in a free-kick from the left and the ball spun off the head of the Celtic defender, past the helpless Boruc.
The Celtic keeper was picking the ball out of the net again shortly afterwards.
Hartley was allowed to take another free-kick while Boruc was still organising his wall and the Pole could not make up the ground as the Hearts midfielder curled the ball into the far corner of the goal.
Hearts almost made it three before quarter-of-an-hour had been played when Rudi Skacel crashed a shot off the post after a fantastic individual run.
Keane saw a 20-yard drive comfortably held by Gordon, but the Irishman passed up an excellent opportunity midway through the first half when Steven Pressley's loose header landed at his feet on the edge of the six-yard box, only for Keane to scuff a weak shot into the keeper's arms.
Maciej Zurawski, anonymous in the first half, almost pulled a goal back at the beginning of the second period with a fiercely-struck drive that was well blocked by Gordon at his near post.
Hearts put the result beyond doubt on 63 minutes when Hartley picked out the run of Bednar who kept his cool to tuck the ball past the out-rushing Boruc.
Gordon saved well from substitute Stilian Petrov's long-range drive and the Scotland international denied the Celtic midfielder again just before full-time when he tipped over his near-post effort.
The result means that a win over Aberdeen on Wednesday will guarantee Hearts second spot and a place in next season's Champions League qualifying campaign.
Hearts: Gordon, Neilson, Pressley, Tall (Berra 80), Fyssas, Cesnauskis (Barasa 83), Hartley, Aguiar, Skacel, Bednar (Pospisil 74), Jankauskas.
Subs Not Used: Banks, Wallace, Brellier, Driver.
Booked: Skacel, Jankauskas.
Goals: McManus 7 og, Hartley 9, Bednar 63.
Celtic: Boruc, Telfer, Varga, McManus, Wilson, Nakamura, Keane, Lennon (Petrov 66), Maloney, Dublin (Hartson 73), Zurawski (Pearson 69).
Subs Not Used: Marshall, Thompson, Wallace, McGeady.
Booked: Dublin, Lennon, Hartson.
Att: 16,795
Ref: A Freeland
http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/9476/41619658heartsceleb2707zq.jpg
Hearts took a massive step towards clinching second place in the SPL as they crushed champions Celtic.
Two goals in the opening 10 minutes gave them the perfect start.
Stephen McManus headed a Paul Hartley free-kick into his own goal before Hartley curled another past Artur Boruc as the keeper set up his wall.
McManus and Roy Keane both missed sitters for Celtic, but Roman Bednar rounded off the win, clipping the ball over Boruc as he rushed out of goal.
The result could have been different had McManus done better with a glorious chance inside two minutes, but he shot tamely at Craig Gordon despite finding himself unmarked just seven yards out.
Having failed to find the net at one end, McManus succeeded at the other end just five minutes later.
Hartley whipped in a free-kick from the left and the ball spun off the head of the Celtic defender, past the helpless Boruc.
The Celtic keeper was picking the ball out of the net again shortly afterwards.
Hartley was allowed to take another free-kick while Boruc was still organising his wall and the Pole could not make up the ground as the Hearts midfielder curled the ball into the far corner of the goal.
Hearts almost made it three before quarter-of-an-hour had been played when Rudi Skacel crashed a shot off the post after a fantastic individual run.
Keane saw a 20-yard drive comfortably held by Gordon, but the Irishman passed up an excellent opportunity midway through the first half when Steven Pressley's loose header landed at his feet on the edge of the six-yard box, only for Keane to scuff a weak shot into the keeper's arms.
Maciej Zurawski, anonymous in the first half, almost pulled a goal back at the beginning of the second period with a fiercely-struck drive that was well blocked by Gordon at his near post.
Hearts put the result beyond doubt on 63 minutes when Hartley picked out the run of Bednar who kept his cool to tuck the ball past the out-rushing Boruc.
Gordon saved well from substitute Stilian Petrov's long-range drive and the Scotland international denied the Celtic midfielder again just before full-time when he tipped over his near-post effort.
The result means that a win over Aberdeen on Wednesday will guarantee Hearts second spot and a place in next season's Champions League qualifying campaign.
Hearts: Gordon, Neilson, Pressley, Tall (Berra 80), Fyssas, Cesnauskis (Barasa 83), Hartley, Aguiar, Skacel, Bednar (Pospisil 74), Jankauskas.
Subs Not Used: Banks, Wallace, Brellier, Driver.
Booked: Skacel, Jankauskas.
Goals: McManus 7 og, Hartley 9, Bednar 63.
Celtic: Boruc, Telfer, Varga, McManus, Wilson, Nakamura, Keane, Lennon (Petrov 66), Maloney, Dublin (Hartson 73), Zurawski (Pearson 69).
Subs Not Used: Marshall, Thompson, Wallace, McGeady.
Booked: Dublin, Lennon, Hartson.
Att: 16,795
Ref: A Freeland