Match Report : Celtic 0 – 1 Hearts

By: Cham | October 29th, 2009

I perceive two things in Scotland of the most fearful omen: ignorance of theological truth, and a readiness to pride themselves in and boast of it.

Edward Irving, a 17th cent. Scottish Clergyman, educated in Edinburgh… [oof]

Co-operative Insurance Cup, Quarter-Finals
Celtic 0 – 1 Heart of Midlothian

Well, the day I return to The Offside and Celtic lay an egg in the League Cup Quarters – to Hearts no less, and right after Rangers went through comfortably over Dundee 1-3. Omens…

Celtic lost on a penalty. An early in the second half penalty. A dreadfully-taken, scuffed-by-Michael-Stewart penalty, which stand-in Pole-keeper Lukasz Zaluska leap-frogged, just days after he blabbed to the papers about how excited and how ready he is to stand between the sticks in place of Celtic #1 Pole-keeper Artur Boruc. Oh, and Stephen McManus was sent off late for a daft challenge. Omens…

UPDATE: Video of the penalty can be found, courtesy of 101greatgoals.com

Of course, the knives are already sharp for first-year Celtic boss Tony Mowbray. In the last four home matches in all competitions he’s overseen, there have been: 1) a goal-less loss at home to Hearts in the League Cup; 2) a goal-less loss at home to Hamburg in the Europa League Cup; 3) a goal-less draw at home to Motherwell in the Scottish Premier League; and 4) a one-one draw to Rapid Vienna in the Europa League Cup. Our last home win — you guessed it : defeating Hearts 2-1 in the League back in September. Omens…

Here’s the gaffer’s interview with Sky Sports:

Are the omens bad with this one? No, I’m sorry, but they are not all completely bad. Celtic are still top of the table, a point ahead of Rangers, three ahead of Hibs. And this Saturday Celtic face Kilmarnock, whom they beat 3-1, 3-nil, 2-1 in the League, and 3-1 in the League Cup last year. We defy augury. There’s a special providence in the fall of a sparrow. If it be now, ‘Tis not to come. If it be not to come, it will be now. If it be not now, yet it will come. The readiness is all. Or something like that.

Too bad Celtic play Killie at home this weekend.