POSTECOGLOU’S PERFECT ENDING
Opening-day loss in Gorgie firmly in past as Bhoys rout Hearts to all but secure title
NINE months on from a harrowing hello to Scottish football from Hearts for Ange Postecoglou, domestic bliss for the Celtic manager and his entertainers.
One hand is placed on the Premiership trophy with two games to spare a year after it tumbled spectacularly from a feeble grasp.
While there are formalities to be concluded, Postecoglou and his squad were greeted like the champions they are through a circuit of the pitch at the conclusion of a typically pulsating display in victory.
Now boasting a goal difference advantage of 22 in addition to nine points over Rangers, Celtic blew away a depleted Hearts team who had the temerity to score first and briefly threaten to play spoiler.
At the end of a week of European glory on the other side of Glasgow, an automatic Champions League berth and a September start is already Celtic’s.
After the slogs of summers packed with qualifying obstacles, what a difference that makes to a team of Parkhead prize guys.
And what a contrast to July 31 last year — Postecoglou’s baptism of fire at Tynecastle. Hearts celebrated their Premiership return via a storming 2-1 success over a Celtic side still doing the introductions with each other.
Those fusions since have been such fun for these jubilant Celtic supporters to watch. How well the Japanese contingent, in particular, settled into their stride at Celtic.
So, how fitting that two of Postecoglou’s prized purchases from the J-League, Daizen Maeda and Kyogo Furuhashi, contributed goals on a landmark day.
Another sensational signing, Jota, played a part in three goals and is understood to fancy doing much the same next season on a permanent basis. That’s another cause for considerable celebration when there is already so much scope for improvement in Postecoglou’s year two.
Their recovery from the concession of an early goal was too hot for Hearts to handle and a six-goal margin of success would not have been viewed as unfair.
Postecoglou has vowed his team will go hard to the finishing line and they’re staying true to his word.
Good luck, then, to Dundee United and Motherwell this week after the third-best team in the country was dismissed with ease.
Robbie Neilson has ducked many of the managerial bouquets handed out this season, perhaps simply on account of how consistent and steady his achievements have appeared.
Hearts raced to the forefront of the ‘best of the rest’ chase with that opening-day statement and haven’t looked back since. Yet were it not for some trademark Craig Gordon heroics, some psychological harm could’ve been wreaked.
Despite a lengthy casualty list and the mental distraction of a Scottish Cup final, Hearts retained the capacity for intensity of performance and surprise in the first 15 minutes — exactly as their manager requested.
Worked from a corner, Barrie McKay’s cross was flicked on by Liam Boyce to Ellis Simms. Kept onside by Carl Starfelt’s leg, the on-loan striker was afforded time to cushion the ball then swivel before lashing home his seventh goal for the club.
It was only the sixth Premiership strike conceded at Celtic Park all season. They are not accustomed to falling behind, either. Initially it seemed that some tension was trickling through the defensive ranks.
Boyce was an inch away from intercepting an errant Joe Hart pass and Simms towered to nod Josh Ginnelly’s cross on target, albeit the ball was easily gathered by the goalkeeper.
When Celtic first broke the last line of a well-drilled visiting defence, the three-time SFWA Player of the Year excelled.
Gordon’s one-handed denial of David Turnbull from 10 yards was, stripped down, typically superb. He simply made it look nonchalant and effortless.
A bustling Callum McGregor run matched Furuhashi’s late arrival in the area with the perfect square ball. A lack of power behind his first-time effort helped Gordon scramble a save.
Dropping deep had helped Hearts to sustain their advantage. When giving up the lead, however, they were caught by a devastating counterattack.
Jota carried the ball from the halfway line with the clever assistance of a decoy Furuhashi run. Maeda stole a march and calmly swept home the Portuguese winger’s lovely low delivery.
There was a large element of controversy, however, with Hearts contesting with justification that McGregor had fouled Toby Sibbick before the damage was done.
The pressure from Celtic grew to unrelenting. Matt O’Riley hung a deep cross over from the left, which was nodded back into Gordon’s goalmouth by Jota.
Furuhashi leapt to head narrowly over the line for 2-1, despite the efforts of Gordon to claw the ball clear. A top call from standside official Dougie Potter.
The direction of traffic remained the same following the interval, with Hearts struggling not to be swamped by the shifting waves of attack.
Furuhashi’s shot was spilled by Gordon, who was bailed out by Alex Cochrane booting off the line as hooped jerseys circled.
O’Riley danced left then right on the area’s edge to make space for a drive that cannoned off the base of Gordon’s right-hand post.
Postecoglou felt change was required. Turnbull, on his first start since the Premier Sports Cup final win over Hibs in December, lasted 64 minutes.
The midfielder’s withdrawal was one of three substitutions to freshen Celtic up for the final push.
And over the line it took them five minutes later. Greg Taylor was released down the left by Jota and one of the understated stars of the campaign found O’Riley lurking back post.
The 21-year-old was in an MK Dons team that lost 3-0 at home to relegated Rochdale in League One on the equivalent weekend last year.
Here, he expertly took down the lofted cross with one foot and rifled a low diagonal finish past Scotland’s No 1 keeper with the other.
Jota prematurely celebrated a fourth while an offside flag was raised and Gordon denied Liel Abada.
But Celtic showed a voracious appetite for more. Giorgos Giakoumakis drilled in from fellow sub James Forrest’s cutback in the final minute to give the scoreline a more accurate reflection of Celtic’s superiority.
CELTIC (4-3-3): Hart; Ralston, Carter-Vickers, Starfelt, Taylor; O’Riley (Rogic 77), McGregor, Turnbull (Hatate 64); Jota (Forrest 81), Furuhashi (Giakoumakis 64), Maeda (Abada 64).
Subs not used: Bain, Bitton, McCarthy, Welsh. HEARTS (4-2-3-1): Gordon; Atkinson, Moore, Kingsley, Cochrane; Haring, Sibbick; Ginnelly (Woodburn 82), Boyce, McKay (Thomas 89); Simms (Mackay-Steven 75).
Subs not used: Stewart, Smith, Souttar, Devlin, Tait. Booked: Sibbick.
Referee: Don Robertson.