25th August 2019 Celtic v Hearts 3-1

This was the first time I have gone to a Hearts match at Celtic Park since 2005 when Hearts drew 1-1 with a goal from Rudi Skacel. At that game the police ignored missiles being thrown into the Hearts fans area from Celtic fans and also ignored their sectarian songs while ejecting a Hearts fan who waved a Hearts scarf with a Union Jack on it as this was 'provoking the Celtic fans'. The final insult was added when police refused to allow Hearts fans to leave until the Celtic fans had dispersed. I vowed after that match never to return but felt after their display at Motherwell Hearts had a chance here and decided to go. I left home at 11.45 and caught the 12.05 train from Haymarket to Glasgow Queen Street arriving at 12.50. I then walked to Glasgow Central Station and paid £1.70 for a return to Bridgeton which is not far from Celtic Park. As I was early I popped into Costa at the station for a latte and a chocolate brownie before catching a train. The train takes around ten minutes with a stop at Argyle Street before arriving at Bridgeton. For once the weather in Glasgow was sunny and I walked around a mile to Celtic Park arriving about 14.00. There were two turnstiles allocated for away supporters and I waited outside in the sunshine for a while before going in. I met David, who I had also seen at Motherwell and we had  a chat about that game and other football issues. At around 14.20 I decided to enter the ground after paying £3.50 for a programme. My seat was in row G which was three rows from the front of the section and I was in line with the goals. I had paid £33 for a seat without a restricted view and initial signs were that the view was good. I also met Grant who I knew from work who was sitting in the row behind me and we had a chat about Hearts chances with for once me being optimistic about a match with Celtic.

Hearts made one change from the match at Motherwell bringing in new signing Glenn Whelan to replace Jamie Walker who is out for at least three months with a broken ankle. As a result of the change Sean Clare moved to an attacking right midfield role with Whelan filling a centre midfield role alongside Loic Damour and Andy Irving. Celtic fielded on loan goalkeeper Fraser Forster for his first game at Celtic Park since he left to join Southampton in 2014. Big money summer defensive signings Boli Bolingoli and Christopher Julien both started with Vakoun Issouf Bayo making a rare start up front. 

Hearts started the game well and although not creating much going forward were containing Celtic inn midfield by closing down well and preventing them from playing their normal quick passing game. They suffered a blow in fifteen minutes when Michael Smith limped off after treatment to be replaced by Jamie Brandon. This is now the fourth match in succession where Hearts have lost a player through injury before the start of the second half having previously lost John Souttar (against Aberdeen), Steven Naismith (Ross County) and Jamie Walker (Motherwell). Celtic took the lead after half an hour when a cross field pass from Ryan Christie found James Forrest wide on the left. His cross into the penalty box saw Hearts keeper Joel Periera looking as if he was coming out to gather the ball then hesitated and was stranded between his goal-line and collecting the cross.The ball fell between Bayo and Christophe Berra and ended up in the Hearts net. There was some discussion as to who got the final touch with Celtic saying Bayo while Hearts (and the Sportscene pundits) saying Berra. Given the goal was awarded to Bayo I will give it to the Celtic player. Hearts had a chance around the forty minute mark when Conor Washington chased and won a through ball. Forster rushed off  his line to block Washington but Damour pick up on his clearance on the left of the penalty area just outside the box. Forster continued his run and brought Damour down before he could turn leading to a yellow card for the Celtic keeper. The free-kick found its way to Aaron Hickey on the edge of the penalty area but his shot was saved by Forster.

The second half was more of the same with Celtic having most of the possession and they took the lead in fifty-four minutes. Damour lost the ball to Christie just outside the Hearts area,. Christie’s pass found Callum McGregor twenty yards out in the centre of the goal and his shot gave Periera no chance of making a save. A third goal arrived nine minutes later after a cross from right-back Kristoffer Ajer across the Hearts six yard box. Bayo got a touch to the ball to deflect it towards goal although it did take a deflection of Craig Halkett before landing in the net. Hearts bought on Uche Ikpeazu for Damour and moved to two upfront in an effort to get something from the match. In eighty minutes Washington sent a low pass  across the edge of the Celtic penalty area. Clare gathered the ball and was fouled by Scott Brown as he moved onto the box. Referee Willie Collum awarded a penalty although he took no action against the Celtic skipper. Washington took the kick and Forster dived to push out his weak effort. The Hearts striker reacted quickly and was first to the rebound to fire the ball into the net. The gamed petered out after this and ended three one to Celtic. I felt Hearts could have made more of an effort to win the game and started with two upfront rather than a 4-5-1 formation. While this gave them an extra man in midfield to blunt Celtic’s attacking play there was not enough support for lone striker Washington for Hearts to threaten the Celtic goal.

After the game I walked back to Bridgeton station to find the 17.10 train had been delayed for thirteen minutes due to congestion. When the train finally arrived it was packed and there was a scrum on the platform with fans trying to squeeze on. I managed to get on before an announcement came over the tannoy apologising for the delay and that the doors were closing with those still on the platform having to wait for the next train. I got off at Glasgow Central and walked to Queen Street to catch the 18.00 train back to Edinburgh. Arrived at Haymarket and was home by 18.50 after a disappointing day in Glasgow. After the game it was announced a few days later that both of Bayo's goals had been officially credit as own goals by Berra and Halkett. This therefore became the second occasion I had seen Hearts lose two own goals in the same game. The first occasion was in 1975 when Alan Anderson and Don Murray scored own goals in a 2-0 defeat at Tynecastle from Rangers.

Teams

Celtic: Forster, Julien, Bitton, Brown, Bayo, Christie, Ntcham, Bolingoli, Ajer, McGregor, Forrest. 

Subs: Johnston, Griffiths, Ralston

Hearts: Pereira, M. Smith, Berra, Clare, Washington, Mulraney, Whelan, Damour, Halkett, Irving, Hickey. 

Subs: Brandon, Ikpeazu, White.