Jambos jumping for joy
The Hearts backroom team show their delight at Gary Mackay-steven opening the scoring against Celtic last night. There were more celebrations to follow.
HEARTS 2
Mackay-steven (8), Souttar (89) CELTIC 1 Ralston (54)
It is more than 500 days since Tynecastle hosted a top-flight game but it was worth the wait.
This visit of Celtic, under the charge of their new manager, Ange Postecoglou, in a Saturday night live game was also likely to be tasty.
And here in front of over 5,000 home fans, it did not disappoint with the old Edinburgh ground rocking as Hearts sensationally gave the Premiership hopefuls a black eye as the two domestic rivals piled into each other in a no-holds barred encounter fought out at 100 mph.
The fact it was flag day for Hearts, Championship winners in 2020-21, helped set it all up beautifully.
Celtic clapped their opponents on to the pitch; owner Ann Budge raised the flag high in the middle of the centre circle as volleys of pyrotechnics shot high into the sky.
That put the Gorgie crowd in the mood and when Hearts helped themselves to a near instant lead they celebrated as if victory had been clinched there and then.
It was a simple goal but none the worse for that.
Josh Ginnelly cut in from the right flank at pace and rolled the ball into Liam Boyce.
Standing with his back to goal, the striker half turned before teeing up Gary Mackay-steven lurking unmarked at the back of the box.
Just a few yards out and with time on his side, the forward coolly finished to make it 1-0.
However, if it was a dream start for Beni Baningime, Hearts’ new signing from Everton, who had been given his debut in centre midfield, the reverse held true for Celtic new boy Carl Starfelt.
The Swede had looked in good position when he came out wide to shut down Ginnelly but allowed his opponent by him on the inside and from that point on a goal was always possible.
The visitors were rattled by the concession and nearly conceded a second when Boyce was allowed a free header at Michael Smith’s corner from the left.
He put his effort wide but it was a warning to Postecoglou and his side that things can always get worse.
Starfelt, who recovered from there on in, brought to mind Johan Mjallby, a famous Celtic Swede of old, with his physique and the way he carried himself about the pitch.
When a hospital pass return from Odsonne Edouard put him under pressure from Boyce, he acted quickly to thunder into a tackle leaving the striker flat on the ground and Hearts were asking questions of referee Bobby Madden as to why he left his cards in his pocket.
At 26-years-old, he is of course a completely different generation to his predecessor.
There was plenty to like about Baningime. Calm and composed in the busiest area of the park, he impressed with his work rate.
It was Smith who gave Celtic the
most problems with his repeated raids down the wing. One such saw Mackay-steven fire wide.
Hoops boss Ange Postecoglou resisted the temptation to make a change at half time and his patience was rewarded with an equaliser inside ten minutes.
Anthony Ralston was his team’s unlikely saviour swapping passes with Edouard and showing great balance and composure to skip past successive Hearts defenders before passing a left foot shot into the net.
Celtic sent on Ryan Christie and new signing Kyogo Furuhashi, who had only just met his teammates early in the day, in the last quarter.
Given they had only second earlier gone close to conceding a goal when John Souttar headed wide, it was an indication of the new manager’s commitment to attacking football.
It backfired, though as it was Hearts who got the second breakthrough with Souttar heading home Smith’s free kick to keep the points in Edinburgh and leave Celtic already playing catch up to Rangers.