Beattie breaks Hearts to keep Celts on track

Hearts 1 Celtic 2

Celtic looked to be feeling the heat from Rangers' win over Motherwell and the reaction from the Hearts players to the dramatic departure of head coach John Robertson this week.

But unlike two seasons ago when the title went to Ibrox on the final day, just weeks after a defeat at Tynecastle, they held their nerve to move 90 minutes away from the trophy.

Celtic travel to Motherwell next Sunday, while Rangers will be in Edinburgh to face Hibernian.

Celtic target Paul Hartley's second-half equaliser, after Alan Thompson's deflected strike had fired Celtic ahead, certainly tested their nerve but super-sub Beattie had other ideas with the winner before joint-caretaker boss Steven Pressley was controversially sent off late on.

The experienced Jambos skipper - appointed joint-interim manager with John McGlynn following the departure of John Robertson this week - was involved in injury-time drama which could prove pivotal in Celtic's hopes of retaining the title.

Goalscorer Beattie tangled with Pressley in the Celtic area but, instead of pointing to the spot, Young waved away protests and then sent the Hearts player off. The defender felt the official was wrong but went to the referee's room to thank him as he retires at the end of the season.

"I thought it was a penalty," said the gracious former Rangers man. "But what I will say is that it was a big decision for Willie to make. If he isn't 100% then he can't give it. It was Willie's final game here and he has been a first-class official for a long time and I have the utmost respect for him.

Celtic manager Martin O'Neill admitted he had his heart in his mouth in the dying minutes but, unlike Pressley, he was convinced that Young got it spot on.

"I probably did have my heart in my mouth," he said. "You always do when you see anybody going down and you have no control of it. I have just seen it and Willie called it that way so I am delighted obviously. But, whatever decision has been made, I don't think it was a penalty. Without a doubt."

Beattie has a knack of scoring goals and, after an injury-plagued season, his manager is backing him to make a big impact at first-team level next season.

O'Neill enthused: "I thought it was a fantastic goal and he has got a big future. He came off the bench way back last season when we needed a result and got the equaliser against Hibs and now scored this goal. He was absolutely flying in pre-season in America and then got injured.

"He took a long time to recover but he's absolutely raring at the moment and next season he is going to be knocking on the door. He has had a big part to play" said a delighted O'Neill.

HEARTS: Gordon, Neilson, Pressley, Webster, Wallace, Mikoliunas (McGeown 72), MacFarlane (Simmons 72), Hartley, Hamill, Miller, Weir (Thorarinsson 81).

CELTIC: Douglas, Agathe, Balde, Varga, McNamara, Petrov, Lennon, Sutton, Thompson, Bellamy, Hartson (Beattie 66).

Referee: W Young.