Wallace can't wait to wrap up title

Celtic defender Ross Wallace is looking for one last push against Hearts on April 5 to win the Bank of Scotland Premier League title.

The Parkhead men are only 90 minutes away from the championship after their 2-0 win over Livingston at Almondvale on Sunday courtesy of a Maciej Zurawski strike and a Shaun Maloney penalty.

And despite the crucial match at Celtic Park not being for another week, Wallace insists the Hoops’ players will focus on the one victory needed against the second-placed Jambos to secure the SPL title.

Wallace said: “I think that it’s now a matter of getting over the line.

“It’s a big game against Hearts and then hopefully that’s it finished.

“We need to keep our concentration, we’ve only got one game to go.

“And we’ve got top-class players at the club so they will keep everyone concentrated.

“It will be like a cup final but, obviously, if we lose we’ve still got other games to win the title.

“However, we are going to go into the game in a positive mood and hope to try and win it on the night.”

Wallace admits the good form of Maloney, in running for Player of the Year, has been instrumental in guiding the Parkhead men to the brink of title success.

He said: “Shaun is easy to play with in the form he is in. You just give the ball to him and he does his stuff.

“When he gets one against one then he’s especially hard to stop.”

Wallace, who replaced Paul Telfer at half-time at Almondvale, insists the SPL’s bottom side offered some spirited resistance before the champions-elect eventually won through.

He said: “Paul Telfer got a stiff neck and Mark Wilson moved from left out to the right.

“It was good to get a run-out and get the early goals when I came on.

“The conditions were slippy and Livingston worked hard and showed some good spirit.

“It was hard to break them down but we got there in the end.

“Then it was just a case of keeping the ball and seeing the 90 minutes out.”

Livingston manager John Robertson insists his side can take some positives from the game despite yet another defeat.

He said: “We were the better side in the first half by a mile but once Celtic got into the lead they showed why they will win the title this season.”