Late goals salvage Celtic
ByReuters
Published 03/04/2004 at 16:22 GMT
Celtic scored twice in the last three minutes on Saturday to salvage a 2-2 draw with Hearts and extend their long unbeaten home record to 76 games. The runaway leaders struggled for fluency and were staring defeat in the face after Kevin McKenna's 21st mi
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But Chris Sutton threw Celtic a lifeline in the 87th minute before Didier Agathe walloped high into the net in injury time.
The equaliser maintained Celtic's hopes of becoming the first Scottish side to go through a league season unbeaten since Rangers in 1898-99.
Ajax Amsterdam remain the last side to win at Celtic Park in a Champions League qualifier in August 2001. Dundee's 2-0 win in May of the same year is the last victory there by any Scottish side.
"They've earned every single plaudit going and again they did it today because we had the home record to defend and defend it they did, which is absolutely fantastic," manager Martin O'Neill told reporters.
"We deserved the two goals. Nothing was going to stop the team today in their attempt to get something," added the Northern Irishman, whose side face Spanish team Villarreal in the first leg of a UEFA Cup quarter-final on Thursday.
Celtic are now 20 points ahead of champions Rangers -- who visit Motherwell on Sunday -- with seven games left.
Failure to beat Hearts means they must wait until next week's match at Kilmarnock to clinch a third SPL title in four years but that will be of minor concern after coming perilously close to defeat.
In Saturday's other games, Aberdeen beat Dundee United 3-0, Dundee overcame bottom side Partick Thistle 2-1 while Dunfermline Athletic beat Kilmarnock, also 2-1.
Hibernian avenged their recent league cup final defeat against Livingston with a 3-1 home win.
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