ANDER REST IS HISTORY
From Back Page paid off as Harry Cochrane, Kyle Lafferty and a double from David Milinkovic secured a stunning win and ended Brendan Rodgers’s 18-month undefeated domestic record.
The Gorgie boss savoured the victory and said: “We based our game plan on the Anderlecht game in terms of the high press, being brave at the back and going man for man at times.
“It’s a difficult thing to do because if they cut you open you could be 3-0 down before you bat an eyelid. The recovery runs from when they went to press and it didn’t work were the things that made all the difference today.
“It was certainly up there. With the nature of the circumstances and everything that’s happened in the last year it’s pleasing.
“All credit to Celtic to be in a position of going into a game to get their 70th without defeat. It shows a huge level of commitment, effort and quality to be able to do that. I’m just pleased our lads managed to be the team to end that run.
“I wouldn’t say they couldn’t go on another run and get to 70 the next time. That’s the quality they’ve got. From that point of view it was pleasing for me that we could go toe to toe and take something from them.
“Before the game that was the thing, we couldn’t have 10 out of 11 or 9 out of 11. When you press you just can’t do it without everybody.
“The pleasing thing for me is they got the rewards for doing all the running they had to do which will make them feel better on the back of a couple of good results. We have St Johnstone next week so it will be back to square one preparing for that match.”
Levein admitted he relished being in the dugout for such a huge win at a raucous Tynecastle. He said: “At 89 minutes I thought, ‘We might win this’! It felt quite good.
“Up to that point I was just ranting and raving and jumping about like a madman. But I’ll enjoy it tonight. I will take a deep breath and we won’t think about St Johnstone until tomorrow. I’d say this is a one off at this minute and time.
“We want to get to that level every single week if we can. The crazy thing was we had five or six of our better players unavailable today. It gives even more credibility to the performance and the result.”
Levein admitted he had several heroes but Cochrane was left with a beaming smile after firing the Jambos on their way to the win.
The 16-year-old notched his first goal for the club with an early stunner and was immense up against Celtic skipper Scott Brown.
Levein said: “It’s like everything else we get a bit excited at times and start putting people on a pedestal and saying they’ll be this and that. He’s just a delight to work with. He’s wellgrounded, a well brought up boy who just loves playing football.
“Whether it’s in the Under-17s, the U-20s or the first team, there’s no fear. Okay, it’s all new to him just now and he is going about with a smile like a Cheshire cat as you can imagine and there will be tough times in the future for him.
“But he has really got something about him. It’s not easy as a 16-year-old to play in a game like that and do well. That’s what he did.
“It was just our day. We scored at the right moments when we looked like we might drop out the game and it looked like Celtic were building up pressure. We got a goal then of course the energy levels go down and then back up.
“At 2-0 up if Celtic get the next goal it’s a difficult game for us so a lot of things went our way. But the players deserved that because of their attitude and the way they ran for 90 minutes in support of each other.”