Celtic 3-1 Hearts: Osmand winner stops Hearts ending 41-year Old Firm dominance

As expected, the home side looked the more dominant and attacking side in the opening few minutes, Celtic requiring all three points on the day to clinch the title, but their final ball was lacking.

Hearts had a series of long throw-ins in the opening 10 minutes, and much of their play in general was long balls aimed at the physicality of Pierre Landry Kaboré.

In the eleventh minute, the Jambos’ fullback, Harry Milne, delivered a wicked ball to the back post, which forced the home side to put the ball behind for a corner kick. The resulting corner was put right on top of Viljami Sinisalo in the Celtic goal, who claimed it with ease.

There was a break in play after 15 minutes when Michael Steinwender came across to deal with a Celtic ball over the top and received a knee to the thigh for his troubles. The Austrian continued but appeared uncomfortable.

A few minutes later, he made a sliding challenge on Daizen Maeda. It was a brilliant piece of defending, but he continued to move gingerly and struggled to get up.

A good piece of link-up play from the two hearts forwards, Shankland and Kaboré, gave the former a sight of goal, but he failed to get his shot off.

In the same run of play, Milne was able to produce another long throw-in with Shankland getting on the end of this one, but he could not direct his header goalward.

Steinwender found himself at the centre of the action once more when Sebastian Tounekti looked to get into the Hearts box, but the Jambo man stepped in at the right time to clear any danger again.

The hosts recycled play before being penalised for a heavy challenge on Jordi Altena on the edge of the 18-yard box.

As the half-hour mark approached, Trusty played a long cross-field ball that was headed away by Alexandros Kyzirdis, allowing Benjamin Nygren to run onto it.

Once more, the final ball was lacking as he looked to slip the ball in behind to Maeda. The forward had made a brilliant run in between the Hearts defenders, but Nygren failed to find him.

The first shot on target came from the side, needing all three points. Cameron Devlin was dispossessed in the middle of the park, and the loose ball was picked up by Engels.

He played it wide to Tounekti, who appeared to have the option of Kieran Tierney on the overlap, but decided to go alone. He cut inside before taking aim, but could only force a routine save out of Alexander Schwolow.

Alistair Johnston picked up the first booking of the day after he lunged late into Altena. The Hearts wide man produced a lovely piece of skill, pushing it through Johnston’s legs as he dived in.

Hearts then played the ball around the Celtic box with Altena at the centre of this. However, he took a long-range effort which flew high and wide.

The visitors had a further chance when Kaboré was running at pace towards Sinsalo’s goal. His toe-poked effort was blocked well by Liam Scales. It seemed an important block as the shot looked to be heading goal-bound.

Steinwender found himself at the centre of the action again. This time, receiving a caution for a foul on Maeda. Hearts found themselves with a corner in the final five minutes of the half. The away side attempted a corner from the training ground, which was recycled, giving them another corner.

This corner was much simpler and was crossed with pace to the back post. Sinisalo came to collect it but misjudged it, leaving an unmarked Shankland free at the back post, and he made no mistake.

Shankland came crashing in at the back post to put the league leaders in front. His 8th goal in 13 games against Celtic. As it stands, Celtic would need a minimum of two goals without a response to win the league. Hearts looked set to win their first league title since 1960.

Celtic were at the centre of further penalty drama after their late penalty midweek. In the second minute of added time, Kiernan Tierney attempted to put a cross into the Hearts area.

Kyziridis slid in to block the cross when the ball struck his trailing arm, which was raised away from his body. Don Robertson awarded the penalty, and his on-field decision was confirmed after a short VAR check.

Derek McInnes, Hearts manager, appeared furious with the decision after his labelling of the midweek incident involving Celtic as ‘disgusting’.

Engles was the man to step up, having scored nine out of nine penalties for Celtic in the league. He placed the ball to the keeper’s left and levelled the game.

Schwolow did dive the right way, but appeared to go early and therefore dived over the ball. He was left disappointed, but Celtic Park had erupted. Martin O’Neil’s side has failed to threaten in the first half, but will be happy going into the break all square.

As for Hearts, they will be winning their first league title in over 65 years. The Jambos have played their role brilliantly in the first half. Their defence looks strong with Steinwender at the centre of this, and their forwards holding play up well when it is cleared long to them.

Celtic made one substitution at halftime. Midweek game winner, Kelechi Iheanacho, replacing Sebastian Tounekti as Celtic looked to get a winner in the second period. Iheanacho is the man to do this, having scored five in his last seven appearances from the bench.

Hearts made an early substitution as Altena was replaced by centre back Frankie Kent.

Derek McInnes suffered a further injury blow to a key player when Beni Baningime went down unchallenged, clutching his hamstring. His game was over, and on came Blair Spittal, who has scored two in his last four appearances.

Since his arrival in the game, Iheanacho has been central to everything Celtic have done. He was finding pockets of space really effectively and threading passes through to his runners.

Hearts found themselves with a free kick in a dangerous area when Nygren brought down Kaboré. Nygren was booked for the foul.

The resulting free kick was taken by Kyziridis, who attempted an effort on goal and put the ball well wide. The area of the free kick had looked more suited to a cross into the box.

Celtic looked to get the ball forward again when Yang Hyun-Jun made a run into the box before his effort was blocked. The block fell to Johnston, who saw his effort blocked as well.

In what was becoming a fairly end-to-end game, Hearts forward Kaboré found himself racing away, but Sinisalo read it well and won the race against the Jambo man to clear the danger

Martin O’Neill made a further change in search of a winning goal, replacing Yang with James Forrest.

The substitute found himself at the centre of the action immediately when he played a ball to Nygren. However, Johnston and Nygren were not on the same wavelength, and the final ball amounted to little. Much to the dismay of the Celtic fans, as boos rang out across a frustrated Celtic Park.

It was now captain Callum McGregor’s turn to drive at the Hearts defence, carrying the ball superbly. He then played it, Maeda out wide, but he could only overhit his cross.

Maeda had a further chance when the home side’s corner found him at the far post. His header is just rising over the bar.

Derek McInnes used his final three substitutions just after the hour mark: Kaboré, Kyziridis, and Milne all came off for Braga, Forrest, and Chesnokov.

The latest of the substitutes is making a brilliant run with his first touches. Taking it past 3 players down the right-hand side before cutting back across a recovering Tierney and playing the ball across the face of the goal before being cleared away.

Not all of Hearts’ substitutions were up to speed as Braga let a pass go straight under his foot and out for a Celtic throw.

Martin O’Neil returned to his bench, making two further substitutions. Callum Osmand and Marcelo Sarachi, the men introduced for Auston Trusty and Kieran Tierney.

As was becoming the theme in this match, Osmand had a fantastic opportunity immediately after coming on. Iheanacho played a ball through to him, but a fantastic piece of defending from Kent settled the nerves in the Hearts away end.

Osmand perhaps should have slipped in Maeda, who appeared to have space opening up on the left-hand side.

Shortly after, the Hoops found themselves with a free kick inside the D. Prior Celtic had a good chance when Maeda slipped the ball back to Nygren. Nygren got the ball stuck under his feet and rushed the shot, which was then blocked by a Hearts defender.

It was penalty scorer Engels who took the free kick, but could only put it wide of the right-hand post. Celtic’s pressure was constant as they searched for the goal that would hand them the title.

Iheanacho was the next to have an effort at goal. He opened his body up perfectly before taking aim, and the resulting shot cannoned off the post.

In the 80th minute, Schwolow was called into action and produced a good save tipping Nygren’s shot over the bar after some good build-up play from the home side.

Maeda was next to have his sights on the goal. His curled effort towards the far post was redirected by the head of Osmand, who was in an offside position.

Braga then put an end to the flurry of Celtic chances when he beat the Celtic goalkeeper to a header, but he was covered well. After the ball was recycled, Shankland won a corner for the league leaders. Nothing came of it, though.

Late in the second half, Celtic played the ball brilliantly, with Saracchi carrying it well from the left-back position. Osmand then received it wide and pulled it back to Maeda, who finished well, but the offside flag was raised.

After a VAR review, Celtic were awarded the goal that may well have won them the league title and crushed the hopes of all Hearts’ fans. Celtic Park was sent into bedlam, and green smoke filled the stadium. Hearts had eight additional minutes to find an equaliser.

Tensions threatened to boil over after a strong challenge from Shankland on Saracchi. After the pair finished their pushing and shoving, both were booked.

Shankland then launched a long throw into the box, but Celtic cleared once again. Hearts had a further opportunity to launch the ball long from a free kick on the halfway line. The hoops did well to clear, but the visitors recycled and came again. Celtic are throwing bodies at every ball to clear, though.

A further free kick was awarded to Hearts deep into the Celtic half. Desperation was setting in for Hearts as their keeper, Schwolow, moved forward to attack it.

Celtic cleared and found themselves staring down an empty goal. Osmand, leading the break, tapped into an empty goal, arms aloft in celebration.

Celtic scoring in the 98th minute to confirm another league title for the Hoops, and absolute heartbreak for Hearts. The league title would not be leaving Glasgow for the 41st year in a row.

The Celtic fans invaded the pitch in great confusion about whether the final whistle had actually been blown. Hearts players and staff were taken out of the way of wild celebrations.

Don Robertson eventually called time on the game after much confusion, and the Celtic party was underway.

Hearts will be left devastated to lose the title so late after being top of the league for 250 days, and the older generation may compare this day to the 1986 title, which they lost with eight minutes to play. Celtic champions that year as well.

It’s been a crazy season in the Scottish Premier League, ending in spectacular fashion. Celtic 3-1 winners on the day and their 12th title in 13 years.