Young Hearts just fall short at Celtic Park

Celtic 2 Heart of Midlothian 1

Ladbrokes Premiership, Sunday 19^th May 2019
– Celtic Park

On 19^th May 2012 Hearts
visited Glasgow for the Scottish Cup final. They took their neighbours with them,
but they didn’t stay for the after-match party and had to leave early. On 19^th
May 2019 Hearts were back in Glasgow. This time it was a much less intense
occasion, being the final game of a long Ladbrokes Premiership season.

With league business already done
and dusted both Hearts and Celtic opted to rest several key players with eyes
on next week’s Scottish Cup final between the pair at Hampden. Hearts began the
game with no fewer than eight players under the age of 22, including two
17-year-olds.

Hearts record in the east end
of Glasgow is nothing short of horrendous and the small band of travelling fans
who made the trip – and kudos to them for their devotion, parting with
hard-earned cash for a meaningless league game six days before the cup final –
must have feared another afternoon of misery when the champions went ahead
within two minutes. Johnston was given too much time in the Hearts penalty box
and he fired an effort into the net past a bewildered Hearts keeper Bobby
Zlamal who, perhaps, should have done better at his near post.

Things got worse for the visitors
soon after when Olly Lee limped off injured. The Englishman was only in the
starting eleven because Harry Cochrane called off with illness. Lee was
replaced by Ryan Edwards.

If the Hearts support were
covering their eyes at this stage they were soon lifting them when the Jambos unexpectedly
equalised in the 18^th minute. Craig Wighton pressurised Celtic
keeper Bain whose hurried pass was seized upon by Sean Clare. The Englishman
squared to Jake Mulraney who curled a superb shot past the Celtic keeper to
draw parity.

Thereafter, Hearts youngsters
gave a very good account of themselves with neat passing and determined
defending. Andy Irving, in particular, looked comfortable and there was a
sublime piece of skill from young Connor Smith who managed to bamboozle two
Celtic players and pull away from them.

There was more injury woe for
Hearts when John Souttar went off but the smile on the defender’s face as he
departed hinted this was just a precaution ahead of next week’s showpiece game
at Hampden.

Just when it seemed the Hearts youngsters were about to take a point their play thoroughly merited, Celtic grabbed a winner when Johnston scored his second goal of the afternoon, shooting past Zlamal after he was given the freedom of Parkhead to get his shot in.

Another defeat for Hearts,
then, to end another disappointing league season. However, manager Craig Levein
will be happy with the performance of his youngsters and with Uche Ikpeazu,
Peter Haring, Arnaud Djoum and captain Christophe Berra hoping to be back next
week, hopes of winning the Scottish Cup for the fourth time in 21 years may not
be the lost cause some believe it to be.

Celtic:
Bain; Ralston; Ajer; Benkovic; Toljan; Bitton; Ntcham; Johnston; Henderson; Sinclair;
Burke.

Hearts: Zlamal; M. Smith; Souttar; Shaughnessy; Hickey; C. Smith; Irving; Lee; Mulraney; Clare; Wighton

Referee: Craig Thomson