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Henrik Larsson hit two late goals, as Celtic beat Hearts 2-0. Celtic maintain their 13-point lead at the top of the SPL. But Hearts had threatened to cause an upset, as Ricardo Fuller tested Celtic's defence. The home side took some time to get going, but even when they stepped it up a gear they still spluttered along. Jackie McNamara exchanged passes with John Hartson inside the box, but Hearts defender Steven Pressley made a vital sliding tackle to prevent him getting a shot away. Two minutes later Celtic went agonisingly close to breaking the deadlock after an uncharacteristic mistake by Pressley. He was dispossessed by Alan Thompson, who went through one on one with Niemi - but the keeper made a good save and the ball rolled just past the post. The home side continued to struggle with the pace of Fuller on the break and they were fortunate not to fall a goal behind. He shrugged off the attentions of Joos Valgaeren and sprinted away before drilling a powerful right-foot shot past Robert Douglas. Johan Mjallby somehow managed to scoop the effort over the bar. Hearts were finally being put under some sustained pressure and Steve Fulton needed to clear Balde's header off the line from McNamara's corner. The visitors again breathed a sigh of relief in the 37th minute as Hartson's deflected header from Thompson's free-kick squirmed just past Niemi's left-hand post. Hartson squandered another chance in the 72nd minute when Thompson delivered an inch-perfect cross, but he headed just over the crossbar from six yards. Celtic were rewarded with 10 minutes to go as they took the lead through Larsson - who coolly steered his header from Thompson's left-wing cross past Niemi and into the corner. That seemed to lift him to another level and with five minutes left with an emphatic right-foot volley past Niemi from Moravcik's cross. That double took his season tally to 25 in all competitions. CELTIC (3-5-2): Douglas; Mjallby, Balde, Valgaeren; McNamara, Lambert, Lennon, Thompson, Petta (Moravcik 66); Hartson, Larsson. HEARTS (5-3-2): Niemi; Flogel, Severin, Pressley, Webster, Mahe; Simmons, Fulton (Boyack 82), Gronlund (Kirk 82); Fuller, Wales (Adam 78). |