Celtic title win turns ugly amid Hearts heartbreak as elephant in room ignored

Yes, it has happened again – and no we are not just talking about Scottish football disgracing itself. A fourth last-day title heartbreak since 1959 for the Tynecastle side, this one ought not to sting quite as much because the challenge was mounted so firmly against the odds in a time of such extended dominance by a single club. Celtic are so programmed for success that they can leave it to the last three minutes of the season to hit top spot having trailed Hearts since September.

Let us not speak of Old Firm hegemony. It is Celtic hegemony. Their fourteenth title in 15 years is distinguished by the presence of a 74-year-old Martin O’Neill and will be celebrated as the Parkhead club tapping into “the spirit of ’86”, a phrase coined by marketing folk at the club for very deliberate reasons given the identity of the team they usurped as leaders in such absorbing but deeply cruel circumstances.

In terms of drama, much of it the unwanted kind after a pitch invasion meant the final whistle was announced via the Tannoy, it might even have outstripped that denouement 40 years ago, when the first and second-placed teams swapped places with eight minutes to go following Albert Kidd’s first intervention. Here it happened on 87 minutes.

Celtic welcomed Roy Aitken, introduced as “the captain of the 1986 championship-winning team”, to present the Premiership trophy. Former Hibs midfielder Scott Brown was also invited to appear as the nightmare on Kerrydale Street grew worse for the away players.

And where were they? Already halfway home to Edinburgh. They left Parkhead still in their kit, huckled and in some cases reportedly kicked down the Celtic Park tunnel. What an undignified and wretched way for their brilliant season to end.

The 20-year-old Callum Osmand’s late, late strike, which he scored into an open goal after Hearts goalkeeper Alexander Schwolow was stranded up field seven minutes and 30 seconds into additional time, triggered an invasion by fans. It will of course be put down to “exuberance” but led to Hearts players being escorted off the park and reports of on-pitch assaults by supporters.

Hearts skipper Lawrence Shankland, who put Hearts in such a commanding position with a header after he was left unmarked at a corner three minutes before the interval, was seen limping off after an alleged altercation. It was Ibrox revisited at Parkhead. That pitch invasion by supporters of both Old Firm sides after the Scottish Cup quarter-final penalty shootout in March is still being investigated. The SFA and SPFL can throw this one into the mix as well.

After Celtic’s third goal, slotted into the net with panache by Osmand after Kelechi Iheanacho let the youngster have the glory, O’Neill turned to the fourth official David Dickinson and asked him long was left. “A minute,” he was told. They never played it. The match didn’t re-start.

What a shame. What a horrible way for a truly remarkable league season to end. There will be recriminations for sure. Celtic sought to ignore the elephant in the room – the final whistle wasn't actually blown, or if it was, it was early! Opposition players were confronted by fans on the pitch! – and the podium was constructed in extra hasty fashion, as if they wanted to get the trophy in their hands before anyone had the chance to step in.

“You know the drill……We may not have thought this was coming …because the Bhoys are ready to lift the trophy once again!” the Celtic Park Tannoy man declared.

It looked like it was going to be the game the season deserved. Not one mired in controversy – the penalty that saw Celtic equalise through Arne Engels in added time at the end of the first half was a penalty for example – and not studded by bookings.

Referee Don Robertson was a picture of calm good sense. With tempers boiling over near the end, he could easily have sent off Shankland and Maeda after a mild flare-up.

There was some brief consternation over Celtic’s crucial second goal scored with three minutes left. Robertson initially signalled it had been offside after being alerted the far side assistant referee’s raised flag. A let-off for Hearts? No, it turned out. Daizen Maeda had not strayed into an offside position before bundling in Osmand’s cross though he had done in the previous passage of play, when he wasn’t interfering. After a short interlude, the goal was allowed. Bedlam.

It was very different earlier in the game. Talk about tense. Outside, venders were flogging tickets and mentioning something about “£10,000”. It wasn’t the going price for a brief for the game, though it can’t have been far away, but the size of the prize in the Paradise Windfall. The winning ticket was not claimed at half time. Similarly, the destination of the league trophy remained highly uncertain at the deciding match's halfway point.

The teams shared a goal each just before the interval, Engels equalising from the spot after Alexandros Kyziridis’ blatant handball. So it remained as it was before kick-off, with Hearts in pole position.

One minute Pierre Landry Kabore was spotted standing in Tynecastle plaza following a fire alarm on Friday during training, the next he was helping lead the line in a title shootout. It was always likely that everyone was going to have to play a part, including the 752 supporters in the away end.

Hearts were forced into making two substitutions within five minutes of the re-start, one in response to a half-time tactical change by Celtic and the other due to an unfortunate injury to Beni Baningime. Frankie Kent replaced Jordi Altena to counterbalance Iheanacho’s arrival in place of Sebastian Tounetki.

McInnes, in a black tee-shirt, was looking cool and composed and seemed to have an answer to everything O’Neill was throwing his way. He started with Altena at left midfield to help counteract Alistair Johnston’s surging runs and Stephen Kingsley at right back to cope with the twin-pronged danger of Kieran Tierney and Tounetki on Celtic’s left.

Hearts were inching their way closer and closer until suddenly they weren’t. Gritty, gallant …..not quite glorious, again.