SCOTTY SINCLAIR led us astray on Sunday afternoon resulting in no match report being posted on CQN immediately after the game.
We thought that perhaps we’d get away with it as most of you would have been out celebrating Scotty’s wonderful hat-trick, the five nil thumping of the minis at their place and our magnificent achievement in reaching 6 in a row.
But since CQN Magazine has filed a Match Report for every single game this season, we thought we’d better come clean, own up and reveal that Scotty Sinclair drove us to drink the bubbly stuff. What a day we had at Tynecastle!
So better late than never here is Sunday’s match report from in this instance Celtic Slow News!
CQN MATCH REPORT – HEARTS 0 CELTIC 5
SCINTIlLLATING Scott Sinclair hit a scorching treble as he propelled Celtic to their sixth successive Premiership title.
What a difference a year has made in the career of the flamboyant English attacker – last season he was relegated from the Premier League with Aston Villa!
Sinclair was exceptional as he tore the Hearts defence apart with his tantalising forays on the left flank.
He collected the matchball after his terrific trio and he was helped in inflicting capital punishment in Edinburgh by goals from the dazzling Stuart Armstrong and the excellent Patrick Roberts.
Brendan Rodgers’ men have gone unbeaten all season on the domestic front, dropping just four points to two late equalisers in 30 matches since the Northern Irishman’s arrival.
There’s was never a doubt Celtic were going to claim the crown as they swept their opponents aside with a devastating display on attacking football with the end product to match the lead-up player.
Sinclair’s first goal in the 24th minute almost tore a hole in the net behind keeper Jack Hamilton.
He worked a neat one-two with Roberts before racing through the static defence. The ball exploded from his right boot and hurtled high over the helpless Hamilton.
And that was the start of the green-and-white carnival.
There was more pain to come for the gallant custodian when Sinclair lashed another one past him for the second goal shortly afterwards.
The Hoops were denied a third goal five minutes after the break when a harassed home defender turned the ball into his own net. Bizarrely, referee Kevin Clancy ruled it out for offside.
However, number three was only delayed a matter of moments as Kieran Tireney combined with Armstrong and the midfielder just can’t do any wrong at the moment.
He lashed it with his cultured right foot and the ball zipped past Hamilton.
In the 62nd minute, the travelling fans were celebrating again when Callum McGregor set up Roberts and the on-loan winger showed he, too, could hit the ball with ferocious power. The goalie was beaten all ends up as it walloped into the back of his net.
Sinclair completed his first hat-trick for the Hoops from the penalty spot after he had been bowled over. Once again he allied power with precision as he sent his effort beyond the shell-shocked Hamilton.
Delighted boss Rodgers could afford to give defender Kolo Toure a rare outing late on, with the Ivorian not starting a game since December.
Celtic will now look to go through their remaining eight games without defeat to ensure another incredible feat.
Skipper Scott Brown said: “Footballwise it’s been top notch, the manager has recruited great players and brought belief to everyone. We have really pushed on this season.
“The target remains one game at a time. We’ve got a big game on Wednesday, so we’ll go back to working hard in training.”
TEAM: Gordon; Lustig,(sub, Gamboa 80), Boyata,(sub, Toure 87), Simunovic, Tierney; Brown, Armstrong; Forrest, McGregor, Sinclair; Roberts (sub; MacKay-Steven).
