Celtic boss Martin O’Neill reacts after a huge Scottish Premiership tussle at Tynecastle this afternoon.
The Celtic manager knew heading into the big game that The Bhoys had to beat Hearts to close the gap at the top of the Scottish Premiership table.
Celtic drew with Hearts despite being 2-1 up with just 13 minutes to play in the top-of-the-table clash that was a fiery affair which saw Benjamin Nygren score a stunning free kick to open up the game.
Rate Benjamin Nygren’s performance vs Hearts
How good was that goal?
Hearts pulled level right after half-time as the Tynecastle club pushed hard for the equaliser.
However, Celtic took the lead after debut Bhoy Tomas Cvancara’s stunning solo run opened up the space for Hyunjun Yang in the six-yard box.
But it was Auston Trusty’s red card that infuriated Martin O’Neill, who slammed the decision to send off the Celtic defender, because not long after that, Hearts equalised to level the game
- READ MORE: Mark Guidi shares what Celtic are saying behind the scenes about Tomas Cvancara ahead of Hearts
Martin O’Neill rages ‘it’s not a red card’ as Celtic boss fumes vs Hearts
The Hoops boss was not a happy man as O’Neill took aim at the match officials after Trusty was given his marching orders late in the game.
The Celtic boss told BBC Radio Scotland, “I’ve seen it back, and I have to say, I don’t see it. I don’t see it at all.
“Maybe I’ve been out of the game too long, maybe I’ve misread the rules, but at the end of it all, the first ball that’s played, is going away from the goals, not going direct. I can understand that, if that’s the case.
“And remarkably, we’ve actually got a man round in the cover, so that the two, the two things, I don’t know why it took such deliberation.
“It’s not a red card. It’s really as simple as that. Listen, it’s gone now, but obviously it had a massive effect in the last 20-odd minutes of the game.
“We played on Thursday night for 60 minutes with 10 men, fought magnificently there and again, we fought magnificently here again.”
What next for Celtic after draw at Hearts
Celtic remain six points behind Hearts, and with the games ticking down, O’Neill knows time is running out to close the gap.
The Bhoys are also now two points behind Rangers in third, as O’Neill looks at what’s up ahead for his team.
Celtic’s next fixture is in the Europa League against Utrecht, but it’s the Scottish Premiership race that interests fans more.
Falkirk are up next at Celtic Park on the 1st of February, and then a trip to Aberdeen beckons three days later for O’Neill.
Every game is now must-win for Celtic who cannot afford any more dropped points in the final 16 games of the season.
Receive a digest of our best Celtic content each week direct to your mailbox
