None of 60,100 spectators who left Celtic Park on Saturday will have any doubts that Hearts CAN win this title. The league leaders came from behind to preserve their 3 point lead at the top of the table and confirm their title credentials.

Before the game, the Celtic fans paid tribute to the return of captain Neil Lennon. Thompson also returned to the first team following injury as he took the position of the recently majestic Maloney, a decision which Strachan later called a "mistake".

Hearts started the brighter of the two teams and Paul Hartley tested Boruc in the early stages with a 30 yard strike. The Pole comfortably pushed the ball over the bar as he looked for his fourth consecutive clean sheet. Steven Pressley was next to worry the Celtic faithful as he narrowly missed out on an important touch at the back post after Skacel sent a dangerous ball across Celtic's six-yard box.

Celtic were struggling and almost fell behind again but top scorer Skacel just failed to direct the ball into the net following another low cross from striker Mikel Pospisil.

But Celtic grabbed the lead against the run of play after 12 minutes through Craig Beattie's seventh goal of the season. Lennon headed the ball into the path of the young Scotland striker, whose shot deflected past the helpless Steve Banks on the goalkeeper's Hearts debut in place of the suspended Craig Gordon. This was no more than the big striker deserved as he had earlier shown great composure to wait for the opportunity to get his shot away.

Celtic came close to extending their lead when the again impressive Bobo Balde's back-post header struck the face of a post from a Thompson corner. At this stage Celtic were playing with real confidence but just as the Glasgow side looked to be taking control, hesitancy from the disappointing Paul Telfer gifted Skacel an equaliser.

The Celtic right-back who was again keeping Agathe on the bench misjudged a through ball allowing Skacel to steal the ball between him and the goalkeeper. His strike was deflected against Boruc but the ball fortunately fell to his feet allowing him to strike his second attempt home. Skacel's celebrations were unsporting to say the least and he warranted the yellow card which referee McDonald gave him.

Robbie Neilson gave Edgaras Jankauskas a chance to put Hearts ahead in the frist half with a fine through ball, but the striker's lob over Boruc also cleared the crossbar. Jankauskas will have known Celtic well following his appearance in the Uefa Cup final in Seville in 2003 but his experience did not help him on this occasion.

Decent shots from the quiet Shunsuke Nakamura and Stilian Petrov flew wide of the Hearts post as Celtic again exerted control before the interval.

Hearts started the second half very brightly and put Celtic on the back foot from the off. But it was Banks who had to come to their rescue with a superb save to turn a Telfer drive round the post.

Skacel again created a fine opening only to have his effort blocked by the ever impressive Boruc. But it was on 63 minutes that the gane turned in Celtic's favour as Celtic substitute Sean Maloney made an immediate impact after replacing the lacklustre Thompson. Maloney sweetly struck a curling a free-kick from around 30 yards towards the top corner before Banks superbly touched the ball wide of the post.

In an attacking change, Strachan brought on Hartson for the Lennon with 20 minutes to go as Celtic pushed for the goal which would send them top of the league. It was the Welsh man who came closest to opening the scoring but his curling shot went the wrong side of the post. Jankauskas flicked a header just over the bar at the other end as Celtic pushed men forwards.
Sutton headed straight at Banks late on and John Hartson sent a diving header wide as Celtic finished the stronger side but failed to end Hearts' unbeaten run.


Celtic (4-4-2)

Boruc

Telfer Balde McManus Camara

Nakamura(Agathe 84) Petrov Lennon(Hartson 70) Thompson(Maloney 63)

Sutton Beattie

Subs Not Used: Marshall, Virgo, McGeady, Wallace.


Hearts: Banks, Neilson, Pressley, Webster, Fyssas, Skacel, Brellier, Hartley, Camazzola, Jankauskas, Pospisil (Elliot 78).

Subs Not Used: MacDonald, McAllister, Simmons, Mikoliunas, Wallace, Tall.


Booked: Sutton, Thompson, Skacel, Pressely, Brellier

Referee: D McDonald

Att:60,100