HEARTS 1 CELTIC 4
IT WAS just capital for the champions in Edinburgh as a Celtic whirlwind blew away Hearts in breathtaking fashion tonight.
Brendan Rodgers’ side flattened their opponents with a devastating four goals in a pulverising second-half with substitute Adam Idah thumping in a double – one from the penalty spot – after Kyogo Furuhashi and Nicolas Kuhn had paved the way.
Neil Critchley’s team put in the maximum effort against Scotland’s title kings, but all they had to show for their efforts was a strike from Musa Drammeh as a consolation with the Hoops coasting 3-0 ahead at the time.
However, this was Celtic’s day as they moved three points ahead of previously-unbeaten Aberdeen after they lost 2-1 to St Mirren in Paisley and ELEVEN clear of Rangers who were booed off Ibrox after their tame 1-1 draw with Dundee United.
AIR WE GO WITH KYOGO…the Japanese striker is flying high as he celebrates firing Celtic into the lead against Hearts at Tynecastle.
The Hoops were at half-pace in the opening 45 minutes and their former keeper Craig Gordon was called into action just once and that was in the 29th minute when he was right in line to collect a 25-yard drive from Kyogo.
The hosts unsettled the champions with their high press and there was little chance for the visitors to build momentum and get into their stride.
There was precious little invention coming from the midfield trio of Arne Engels, Callum McGregor and Reo Hatate as they were chased and harried by opponents wherever they went.
Kasper Schmeichel was quick to show he had his eye in when he reacted swiftly to get down to his left to save from Blair Spittal in only two minutes after a one-two with Lawrence Shankland offered the midfielder a shooting opportunity from six yards.
Only moments later, James Penrice, who was being allowed to roam free on the left without any undue hinderance from Kuhn, popped up about 30 yards from goal, but his low effort lacked the oomph or precision to trouble Celtic’s Great Dane.
And it was Schmeichel to the rescue in the 21st minute when Shankland was unmarked to get on the end of a left-wing delivery from Penrice, but the keeper anticipated the header to his left and was able to pat it down before clearing.
The Hoops were on the back-foot for most of the opening exchanges, but there was a glimmer of a threat from Daizen Maeda when he made a good run into the box to get his head on an angled cross, but his elevation was off and the ball sailed harmlessly over the bar.
NUMBER ONE…Kyogo Furuhashi smashes a right-foot drive past stranded Hearts keeper Craig Gordon.
NUMBER TWO…Nicolas Kuhn acknowledges the travelling support after rifling in a superb second.
NUMBER THREE…Adam Idah thumps in the third with the Hearts defence is disarray.
NUMBER FOUR…Adam Idah celebrates his penalty strike with James Forrest, but the home support are not inclined to join in the joy.
But Celtic came out firing all cylinders after a pep talk from Rodgers at the interval and thumped two gloriousgoals past the blameless Gordon in a quickfire five-minute spell.
Kyogo netted the breakthrough strike when he latched onto a rebound after a clearance from Daniel Oyegoke had struck the challenging McGregor.
The ball fell to the Japanese striker, playing his 150th game for the club, and he whipped a low ledt-foot drive at goal. Gordon blocked the first attempt, but had no answer when Kyogo followed up to rattle in a low right-foot attempt.
Five minutes later, Kuhn sizzled in a left-foot angled cracker after a series of one-twos with Maeda before unleashing an unstoppable whizzbang effort between the netminder and his right-hand post.
There was a flurry of substitutions from Rodgers as he put on Paulo Bernardo and James Forrest for Engels and Maeda in 68 minutes and followed those changes only moments later by withdrawing Alistair Johnston and introducing Anthony Ralston.
There was a brief scare for the visitors when Ralston deflected a right-wing cross onto the woodwork before the ball was hurriedly cleared.
However, normal service was resumed and Idah, who had just replaced Kyogo while Yang Hyun-jun took over from Kuhn, whipped in No.3 in the 78th minute.
Bernardo slipped the ball to the Republic of Ireland international frontman who sent a low shot past the exposed Gordon from 14 yards.
Four minutes later, Drammeh claimed Hearts’ crumb of comfort with a ferocious 25-yarder past Schmeichel to his right.
Celtic responded with Gordon making two blocks from Yang and Idah within seconds before the Hoops brought down the curtain on a fine second-half performance after Forrest had been sent crashing in the box.
Referee Steven McLean had no hesitation in pointing to the spot and Idah buried a low drive past Gordon.
All in all, a very satisfying day for Brendan Rodgers’ Premiership pacesetters in their quest for a fourth successive title.
TEAM: Schmeichel; Johnston (sub: Ralston 70), Carter-Vickers, Trusty, Taylor; Engels (sub: Bernardo 68), McGregor, Hatate; Kuhn (sub: Yang 75), Kyogo (sub: Idah 75), Maeda (sub: Forrest 68).
