Flicker of hope for Hearts despite loss to Celtic
Heart of Midlothian 0 Celtic 2
Ladbrokes Premiership, Wednesday 18th December
2019 – Tynecastle
Hearts’ woes in this troubled season continued at a rain sodden Tynecastle Park on Wednesday evening as league champions Celtic strolled to a 2-0 win which means the Maroons have now gone six games without a win, five of them without a goal.
Celtic’s victory opened a five-point gap at the top of the Ladbrokes Premiership and the champions were always going to be red-hot favourites against a struggling Hearts side. Yet, there was a flicker of hope for the Maroon Army. In the opening half an hour Hearts played with renewed vigour and purpose and a work-rate that wasn’t in evidence against St Johnstone last Saturday. The players seem to be beginning to realise what new manager Daniel Stendel wants them to do even though he’s only been in Gorgie for little over a week.
Hearts,
without ever troubling Celtic keeper Forster, were matching the champions in
the opening 28 minutes – before they fell to a sucker punch. The ball was played
forward to Edouard which drew the attention of Christophe Berra, Craig Halkett
and Loic Damour. Three on to one spelt trouble but not for the Celtic player
who cleverly backheeled the ball allowing Christie to fire a low shot past
Hearts keeper Joel Pereira to give Neil Lennon’s side an undeserved lead.
When
Hearts injury curse struck yet again – right back Jamie Brandon limped off to
be replaced by Sean Clare – one could see some of the Hearts heads going down.
Celtic assumed control of the game and added a second goal five minutes before
half-time when Ntcham took advantage of more slack Hearts defending to fire
home.
The
visitors could well have added to their tally as the rain lashed Tynecastle in
the second half. But the gamed ended at 2-0 leaving Daniel Stendel with a huge
amount of work to rescue Hearts season.
Saturday’s
relegation battle with Hamilton Academical is already looking like a
six-pointer.
Hearts: Pereira, Smith, Berra, Bozanic (Whelan, 46′),
Mulraney (Henderson, 60′), Wighton, MacLean, Damour, Brandon (Clare, 31′),
Halkett, Hickey.
Celtic:
Forster, Jullien, Brown, Hayes, Christie, Ntcham, Edouard (Griffiths, 83′),
Frimpong, Ajer, McGregor, Forrest (Bitton, 83′).
Referee:
Bobby Madden
Attendance: 17,297
All photographs: Thomas Brown
