Kai Watson: Rangers Fail to Capitalise as Celtic Drop Points
It was a full midweek card in the Scottish Premiership on Wednesday and league leaders Celtic hosted Jim Goodwin’s high-flying Dundee United.
Undoubtedly, on paper, the game of the night was at Tynecastle though as Derek McInnes returned to face his former club for the first time since leaving in the summer.
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Celtic kicked off at 7:45pm and had the chance to, even temporarily, go seven points clear at the top of the table. Rangers lost twice at Tynecastle last season and Hearts were looking to make it three in a row and close the gap to just one point.
Celtic struck first on the night in the 19th minute at Celtic Park, Esselink gave away the ball with a poor pass into the middle of the pitch. The home side's first attempt was blocked but the ball eventually found its way out to Osmand who crossed to the back post.
Nygren then headed it down to Hogh who laid it off for Duran to score his seventh league goal of the season. Jesse Randall had a huge chance to equalise at the back post but Johnstone made a smart save to keep it 1-0. Then in the 28th minute, Rangers loanee Lyall Cameron had the ball on the right and whipped in a brilliant cross which Sapsford met with an equally brilliant header and it was 1-1.
Just three minutes later and a dangerous Cameron free-kick was won by Scales but he could only knock it down to Faruggia who bundled it in to make it 2-1 and turn the game on its head.
As this was going on Rangers took the lead at Tynecastle thanks to some brilliant link up between Kelsy and Naderi which led to the Venezuelan coolly slotting the ball under Reus.
It was 2-1 at Celtic Park at half-time and 1-0 at Tynecastle at the break.
Hearts came out meaning business in the second half though and just three minutes in Braga had levelled the score and Tynecastle erupted. It was no less than Hearts deserved and nine minutes later they completed the turnaround as a Braga shot fell to Miller at the backpost who showed great composure to slot it in at the near post.
Celtic equalised on the 65th minute as Scales atoned for his poor header earlier by nodding in from a Jota cross. The home side huffed and puffed but it’s a different Dundee United team that is on show now and they held out for a 2-2 draw.
Hearts had plenty of chances on the counter attack but just couldn’t find that goal to kill the game off. With minutes to go, Bouanani curled in a lovely free-kick which Makhanya got his head to and put it back across goal, off the post and into the net, 2-2!
Rangers looked to put late pressure on and had a golden opportunity after great work from Curtis on the left. The dinked a left footed cross which both Chukwuani and Reus missed but Sterling’s body position was all wrong and it hit his chest and went straight into the Hearts ‘keepers hands.
That was a massive chance to win the game and cut the gap at the top down to one point.
In the grand scheme of things, Rangers didn’t really deserve anything from that game, especially after their second half performance. Celtic will definitely be the more frustrated of the two in terms of not being able to increase the gap.
Positive signs for Hearts though and Braga looks to be hitting form at a good time with plenty of matches coming up.
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