ANGE Postecoglou’s landmark 100th game in charge in charge of Celtic tonight unfolded the same way as so many of the previous 99 had.
Hearts, the third best team in the country by a distance, were far from, even with their freescoring striker Lawrence Shankland missing, the easiest opposition for the home team.
And the Tynecastle club took the lead early on through Josh Ginnelly and made their rivals work hard for the victory which maintained their nine point lead at the top of the cinch Premiership.
Yet, Callum McGregor and his team mates ultimately ensured their manager, who many snipers doubted would last 100 days when he was appointed, became a Parkhead centurion in fine style.
Daizen Maeda equalised on the half hour mark after his countryman Kyogo Furuhashi squared to him on the edge of the Hearts six yard box.
Provider turned scorer in the second-half, and took his tally for the 2022/23 campaign to 25 in the process, when he rounded off a slick attacking move involving Jota and Aaron Mooy.
Substitute Sead Haksabonovic sealed the win when he cut in from the left and fired into the top right corner in the closing stages.
The triumph, which stretched Celtic’s winning streak to 12 games, was the perfect warm-up for their Scottish Cup quarter-final against Hearts at Tynecastle this Saturday.
Towards the end of the 90 minutes, the Celtic fans in the standing section unfurled banners which read: “Gone by Christmas? Here’s to 100 more.”
Here are five talking points from the Parkhead encounter.
RELENTLESS FURUHASHI
No Celtic forward has scored 30 or more goals in a single season since French forward Moussa Dembele did so back in the 2016/17 campaign.
But if Furuhashi can avoid injury in the coming weeks he will surely match and surpass the mark set by his predecessor. It is, in fact, feasible that he could match the 40 goal haul of Leigh Griffiths the term before.
His all-important second tonight was superb; he ran onto a perfectly-weighted through ball from Mooy and despatched a first-time left foot shot beyond Zander Clark.
He was a deserved recipient of the Man of the Match award.
HEROIC HEARTS
Postecoglou’s reign got off to the worst possible start back on July 31, 2021, when Celtic were beaten 2-1 by Hearts in Gorgie.
But following that loss his men recorded six consecutive victories over their Edinburgh rivals and they were widely expected to continue that run tonight.
The visitors, however, had other ideas. Robbie Neilson stuck with his 3-5-2 formation and his charges deservedly took the lead when Ginnelly got on the end of an Andy Halliday cross and nodded in from a few yards out. Jorge Grant and Alan Forrest tested Joe Hart in the first-half.
At no stage did Hearts look capable of snatching their first win in the East End of Glasgow since 2009. Still, they can take confidence from their all-round showing. If Shankland returns on Saturday it will give them a much-needed cutting edge in the final third.
FRESH APPROACH
Postecoglou, with half an eye on the trip to the capital this weekend, made several changes to the team which had taken to the field against St Mirren in Paisley on Sunday.
Out went full-backs Alistair Johnston and Greg Taylor, who was missing from the squad altogether, and in came Anthony Ralston and Alexandro Bernabei.
Ahead of them, Matt O’Riley got the nod to partner McGregor and Mooy in central midfield while Liel Abada was preferred to Jota.
It was the first time that Ralston had featured this year and was, with the Euro 2024 qualifiers against Cyprus and Spain coming up later this month, a great opportunity for him to thrust himself into contention for a Scotland call-up.
Bernabei, too, had not been sighted since the Scottish Cup win over Morton back in January due to the consistent form of his club mate Taylor. He was clearly pumped up as he survive a VAR check for serious foul play.
Both men looked rusty at times, but they did their cause no harm at all. The performance and result underlined the strength and depth the Scottish champions have and why recording a fifth treble in seven years is very much a possibility.
VAR SPOT ON
The new technology has won few admirers among fans, players or coaches since it was introduced to Scottish football back in October. Barely a week has passed without an outcry erupting about a handball call, penalty decision or red card.
But tonight VAR showed the opening two goals, which were originally flagged offside by assistant referees Craig Ferguson and Calum Spence, were both onside. Nor did the officials in Clydesdale House, as has so often been the case in the past four months, take an eternity to arrive at their conclusions.
Slowly but surely, they are getting there.
MAEDA BLOW
Postecoglou is not, even with James Forrest sidelined with a must strain for the foreseeable future, exactly lacking in quality wide players. He had Abada, Haksabanovic, Jota and Maeda at his disposal tonight.
But seeing Maeda hobble off injured in the first-half would have been a concern for the Greek-Australian coach. The Japanese internationalist is hard-working, physical and, while not being as clinical a finisher as his compatriot Furuhashi, scores important goals.
Jota made an impact after coming on. He hit the post with a long-range effort just before half-time and initiated the attack which led to the second goal after half-time.
The Celtic manager, though, will be hoping the winger is available for selection for their next outing.
