Cetlic's 2004-2005 Season

[Lance Knight]

Saturday, April 2, 2005

Celtic 0-2 Hearts: FT Report

PA

Hearts planted the Bank of Scotland Premier League championship race back in the grateful hands of Rangers after snatching a shock 2-0 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 well 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.

[Lance Knight]

Sunday, April 10, 2005

Hearts 1-2 Celtic: FT Report

fPA

Craig Bellamy emerged as the Hampden Park hero with the important strike against Hearts to send Tennent's Scottish Cup holders Celtic back to the final to face Dundee United on May 28.

Chris Sutton showed how influential he is to the champions by marking his return to the side with a third-minute opener before the on-loan Newcastle United striker also capitalised on some poor defending four minutes after the restart to increase the lead.

Substitute Deividas Cesnauskis came off the bench to lob David Marshall to set up a grandstand finish but Celtic saw the 90 minutes out to gain revenge over Hearts for last week's shock defeat at Celtic Park which put Rangers back in control of the Bank of Scotland Premier League title race.

Hearts fans booed and jeered the minute's silence for Pope John Paul II and referee Stuart Dougal was forced to end it early.

Celtic looked fired up for the game, with Sutton in for Aiden McGeady and Joos Valgaeren replacing Stephane Henchoz. Hearts manager John Robertson brought in Paul Hartley for Marius Kizys.

The ball almost fell kindly for John Hartson in the area after just one minute but his shot hit a Hearts player to take the sting out of the ball and Craig Gordon made a comfortable save.

The Celtic supporters were celebrating in the third minute when Sutton gave them a dream start with the opener.

Alan Thompson tapped a corner to Stilian Petrov to swing an inviting left-foot cross just inside the six-yard box and the Englishman got between Steven Pressley and Andy Webster and more importantly in front of Gordon to head into the roof of the net.

The Hearts fans goaded Craig Bellamy with chants of "Souness" in reference to his bust up with the Newcastle United manager.

The Hearts boss then flicked the ball away from Valgaeren as he bent down on the touchline before taking a throw-in.

Hearts looked dangerous on the break with Hartley's bursts forward and after good work by him and former Celt Mark Burchill in the 20th minute the ball broke to Joe Hamill on the edge of the area but Valgaeren was brave to block his effort.

Bellamy almost punished Webster for failing to deal with a back pass and Bellamy stole the ball with Gordon out of his goal,

He played the ball towards his Welsh international team-mate Hartson, inside the area, but he swung wildly and missed the ball completely.

Marshall had very little to do in the first half as Hearts struggled to get last week's scoring heroes Burchill and Lee Miller into the game.

Hartson came within inches of extending Celtic's lead on the stroke of half-time when he got within a whisker of Neil Lennon's cross after persistence from Petrov.

Robertson changed things at the break and introduced Cesnauskis for Robbie Neilson, who was injured early on.

But Hearts found themselves further behind after more poor play in their defence in the 49th minute.

Hartson failed to control Stanislav Varga's punt down field but Celtic target Hartley clumsily knocked the ball to Bellamy, who swivelled and forced his shot past Gordon from 12 yards.

The Hoops threatened to kill the game off moments later as Gordon took Thompson's cross off the head of Hartson and Varga somehow failed to turn the ball in on the goal-line.

Gordon stood up well to save Thompson's left-foot flick in the 54th minute but Hearts seemed to be dead and buried.

At the other end the ball almost broke to Burchill in the box but Jackie McNamara reacted quickly to clear the danger before Robertson brought Kizys on for Hammil.

But Cesnauskis hauled the underdogs back into the match on the hour when he got behind the the Celtic defence to lob the ball over Marshall, who had come off his line.

Sutton could have restored the two-goal advantage in a pulsating second half after being picked out by Bellamy close to the penalty spot but he pulled his effort well over.

O'Neill brought on McGeady for Hartson in the 72nd minute before Robertson replaced Neil MacFarlane with Dennis Wyness.

Hearts pushed Celtic back and McNamara needed to throw himself bravely at Burchill to send his shot behind for a corner.

Bellamy could have killed the game off but somehow failed to find the net from close range, but nothing was going to ruin his and the Glasgow club's big day.

[Lance Knight]

Wednesday, April 13, 2005

Scotland: Celtic clear after 4-0 romp


GLASGOW, April 13 (Reuters) - Welsh international striker John Hartson ended his goal drought with a hat-trick to take Celtic back to the top of the Scottish Premier League following a 4-0 win at bottom club Livingston on Wednesday.
Hartson, who had not found the net during his last four club games, scored three minutes before the break with a volley, then headed the second after 75 minutes before adding his first penalty of the season with four minutes left.


Stanislav Varga added the fourth in the final seconds.

The result took Celtic to 80 points from 32 games, two clear of Rangers who lost 1-0 at home to Dundee United on Tuesday.

Manager Martin O'Neill praised his target-man, saying: 'We had a wee chat yesterday... Like all strikers, he thrives on goals and I told him not to be too concerned.'

O'Neill told BBC Radio Scotland: 'He did magnificently... the second goal was absolutely wonderful.'

Hartson added: 'I think it's the longest I've gone (without a goal). But I feel there is more to my game than just goals.'

Third-placed Hibernian, meanwhile, bounced back from 1-0 down at halftime in the Edinburgh derby to beat Hearts 2-1 at Tynecastle.

Lee Miller nodded the opening goal for Hearts only for Garry O'Connor to level in the second half before Dean Shiels grabbed the winner.

Hibs, with 56 points from 32 games, strengthened their challenge for a UEFA Cup place by moving four points clear of Aberdeen in fourth.

[Lance Knight]

Saturday, April 16, 2005

Celtic 3-2 Aberdeen: FT Report

PA

Craig Bellamy heaped pressure on the Celtic board with a breathtaking winner as the Bank of Scotland Premier League champions pulled themselves back from the dead to shatter Aberdeen 3-2 and increase their lead over Rangers to five points.

The visitors had looked on course to claim their third consecutive success on the Hoops' doorstep and give the Ibrox men back the initiative in the title race after racing to a shock two-goal lead through Zander Diamond and Darren Mackie goals after 14 minutes.

But Stanislav Varga and John Hartson hauled them back on level terms either side of the break, before Bellamy blasted a goal-of-the-season contender, intensifying the Celtic fans' claims to make his move loan move from Newcastle permanent.

If Celtic retain the title, they will look back on this game as the one which clinched it as they enter the final five matches of the season.

Just like the Hearts defeat at Parkhead a fortnight ago, Aberdeen stunned the SPL leaders by snatching the lead against the run of play in the 11th minute.

Kevin McNaughton played the ball out to Scott Severin and his cross found Zander Diamond, who still had plenty to do.

But the young defender swivelled like a prized striker just inside the box and powered a right-foot volley through a crowded penalty box, past the despairing hand of David Marshall and into the bottom corner of the net.

Aberdeen then ruthlessly took full advantage of some terrible defending by Celtic to extend their shock advantage three minutes later.

Heikkinen did brilliantly to play Muirhead away down the left flank and he looked up to pick out Darren Mackie in the centre with an even better ball and the striker left Stanislav Varga for dead to plant his right-foot shot past Marshall from close range.

The home side stepped up the pressure in the 26th minute when Jackie McNamara almost dragged them back into the match with a speculative right-foot shot from 28 yards which Esson had to scurry back quickly to tip over the crossbar.

Celtic went even closer when Bobo Balde headed Thompson's cross towards the top corner, but Lubomir Blaha jumped at the far post to clear off the line to save Aberdeen.

However, the shell-shocked home fans were celebrating in the 27th minute as Varga stooped to head McGeady's cross into the top corner from six yards to raise the temperature.

O'Neill made a change in the 31st minute by bringing on Didier Agathe in place of Joos Valgaeren for his first appearance through injury since November 28.

Celtic made a whirlwind start to the second half and Bellamy should have equalised in the 51st minute when McGeady played him clean through, after a strong run from Varga through the middle, but Esson came racing off his line to save his weak effort with his foot.

Aberdeen failed to clear, though, with Agathe pouncing on a loose ball and picking out Hartson to blast a right-foot shot past the keeper from eight yards for his 28th goal of the campaign.

Aberdeen still caused the home defence plenty of concern at the other end as McNaughton curled a left-foot shot over the top from the edge of the area.

O'Neill threw on another of his big guns in the 57th minute with the introduction of Chris Sutton, who had not fully recovered from a foot injury sustained in the midweek win at Livingston, for Aiden McGeady.

The inspirational Englishman had barely arrived in the box when Bellamy produced a moment of genius to send the champions hurtling into the lead in stunning fashion.

Thompson's corner flew all the way to the opposite side of the box and the Newcastle man drove an unstoppable right-foot volley across Esson and into the top corner of the net.

But Celtic were fuming in the 62nd minute when they were denied a certain penalty after Bellamy had been sent sprawling in the area by Richie Byrne's barge in the back.

O'Neill took off second-half substitute Agathe for Stephane Henchoz late on, but having seemingly been robbed of a penalty, it was a nervous finale for the champions.

Bellamy could have settled them down with a second in the dying seconds, only to screw his right-foot shot wide.

But he had already done his job as the fans rose to their feet to salute him at the final whistle.