Celtic 1-0 Hearts
Victor Wanyama scored the only goal of this game after 72 minutes, a postage stamp corner cracker from outside the box, but the 90th minute created most drama as Fraser Forster saved an Eggert Jonsson penalty to secure the points.
Celtic were forced into yet more injury changes as third choice right back, Cha Du-Ri, was drafted in, in the absence of Adam Matthews and long-term absentee, Mark Wilson. With Emilio Izaguirre and Joe Ledley both close to returning to action Charlie Mulgrew played left back, giving Celtic a physical looking formation but they struggled to impose themselves in the opening 30 minutes.
Gary Hooper and Anthony Stokes offered little up front all day but Hooper had two gilt-edged chances before the break. James Forrest hooked an awkward cross in from the right which the Hearts defence failed to deal with, allowing Hooper to shoot from inside the six yard box but he tame effort missed the target. Minutes later Hooper was again presented with a chance inside the box after Georgios Samaras hit the goal-line on the left but the striker failed to get his feet in gear.
Anthony Stokes connected well with a shot from 25 yards which tested Kello, the only real effort either keeper had to deal with in the first half. Stokes came close again after the break but he couldn’t quite get high enough to above James Forrest’s cross and his header rebounded off the bar.
Charlie Mulgrew struggled with his delivery from free kicks and corners all afternoon but the ball broke to Victor Wanyama on 23 yards out after one Mulgrew free kick. The Kenyan brought his foot from right to left across the ball, injecting a devilish degree of swerve to leave Kello rooted to the spot as the ball flew into the net.
With the clock running down Fraser Forster failed to deal with a corner and Wanyama was penalised in the resulting melee inside the box resulting in the penalty. With Jonsson ready to take the kick Georgios Samaras stood over the ball insisting it was not correctly on the spot, taking a clear opportunity to unnerve the kicker. Jonsson refused to re-spot the ball until the referee moved it clearly away from its initial position and insisted it was placed again.
When Jonsson eventually took his kick he struck it well enough but Fraser Forster dived quickly to his left and turned the ball behind. The winning run continues.