Relieved Mowbray admits to feeling of déjà vu

CELTIC manager Tony Mowbray experienced a sense of déjà vu yesterday as his side struggled to their late win over Hearts at Parkhead which took them above Old Firm rivals Rangers at the top of the Clydesdale Bank Premier League.

The Bhoys had slipped up at home last week when they could only draw 1-1 with Dundee United after the Gers had drawn the day before at Motherwell.

The Ibrox men drew a blank at Kilmarnock on Saturday but in the dying stages of an exciting game at Parkhead, with Chris Killen’s header having levelled Suso Santana’s early opener and substitute Niall McGinn denied a penalty claim when he appeared to be chopped down by Lee Wallace, it looked like Mowbray’s side would come up short again.

However, defender Glenn Loovens dramatically headed in the winner three minutes into added time to take the Bhoys two points clear.

Mowbray, who, in his excitement, swore in a radio interview immediately after the game, said: “I think there was a little bit of déjà vu from the Dundee United game last week.

“We concede a goal early in the game, we go chasing and we had another controversial penalty decision at the death that didn’t go our way.

“But thankfully we didn’t need it and we got the winner.

“I thought it was a penalty and I was 60 yards away and the referee was 10 yards away, so let’s hope the referee got it right.’’

Mowbray played down the anxiety which cascaded from the stands until the home side grabbed the winner.

“The fans react to the scoreline,” he said. “There are expectations at this club, but I am a coach who judges by performance levels.

“If your performance level is good enough each week then you will win enough football matches.

“But I understand that at this club, while it is not unique within the Scottish game, we have to win regardless of how we might play.

“Celtic fans don’t want me to sit there and say ‘I thought we played great’ and we have lost 1-0.

“They want to win and hopefully they went home happy and are talking about some of the good football that was played today. I thought the team played exceptionally well.”

CELTIC: Boruc, Hinkel, Caldwell, Loovens, Daniel Fox, McGeady, Brown, N’Guemo, Maloney (McGinn 69), McDonald, Killen.

HEARTS: Balogh, Bouzid, Goncalves, Zaliukas (Novikovas 37), Wallace, Santana, Michael Stewart, Palazuelos, Driver (Black 83), Craig Thomson, Obua.

Referee: D McDonald