HEARTS 1 CELTIC 2 (Wed, Feb 27)
DEEP into stoppage time, Neil Lennon, on his second homecoming, must have thought the team were about to surrender two points to 10-man Hearts at Tynecastle.
The champions had laid siege on the home goal, but there was no sign of a breakthrough until two minutes beyond the regulation 90 when Scott Brown lofted in a deep cross.
Sean Clare hesitated and substitute Odsonne Edouard, alert and lively, caught the ball on the drop to steer an effort beyond exposed keeper Bobby Zlamal to maintain the Hoops’ eight-point advantage.
The ever-dangerous James Forrest had scored the opener in the 36th minute and the home outfit then had defender Jamie Brandon red-carded eight minutes later following a dreadful mid-air assault on German right-back Jeremy Toljan. Oliver Bozanic equalised with a penalty-kick shortly after the turnaround before Edouard struck the late clincher.
TEAM: Bain; Toljan (sub: Lustig 86), Boyata, Ajer, Tierney; Brown, Bitton; Forrest, Henderson (sub: Edouard 62), Sinclair (sub: Weah 80); Burke.
*TOMORROW: Another key game on the way to title No.8.
