Wilfried Nancy endured a baptism of fire as Celtic manager, watching his new side slump to a damaging 2-1 defeat against a resurgent Hearts at Celtic Park. The loss leaves Celtic trailing leaders Derek McInnes's side by a significant margin, casting immediate doubt on their title credentials.
A Dismal Start for the New Boss
The Frenchman's tenure began in dismal circumstances, with pouring rain and a disgruntled home support providing the backdrop. Claudio Braga opened the scoring for Hearts just before half-time, capitalising on Celtic's defensive confusion as they stopped playing, believing him to be offside. Kasper Schmeichel was left motionless as the ball was turned past him.
Hearts doubled their lead from a set-piece in the second half. Harry Milne delivered a superb corner which was met powerfully by the head of Oisin McEntee. The former Walsall defender directed his header past Schmeichel at the near post, sparking further unrest amongst the Celtic faithful towards the club's board.
Celtic's Feeble Response
Celtic offered little in response for much of the game, looking punchless in attack. A late rally saw Reo Hatate strike the crossbar after Alexander Schwolow had saved brilliantly from Arne Engels. A consolation goal from Kieran Tierney deep into stoppage time did nothing to mask a deeply unimpressive performance from the hosts.
The result is a major blow to Celtic's Premiership ambitions, allowing Hearts to re-establish a clear gap at the summit. For Nancy, who arrived after a month-long search following Brendan Rodgers' resignation, the scale of the task ahead has been laid bare in the most stark fashion.
Saturday's Premiership Round-Up
Elsewhere in the Scottish Premiership, the title race saw further movement. Rangers closed the gap at the top with a 3-0 win at Kilmarnock, thanks to a Bojan Miovski double and a goal from Tottenham loanee Mikey Moore. Kilmarnock manager Stuart Kettlewell was sent off during the match.
Aberdeen extended their unbeaten run to six games with a 3-1 victory over Dundee, powered by a first-half brace from Adil Aouchiche. Hibernian ended Falkirk's five-game unbeaten streak with a 3-0 win, Martin Boyle and a double from Kieron Bowie securing the points.
Motherwell continued their fine form with a 3-0 win against bottom side Livingston, making it eight league games unbeaten. St Mirren also secured a much-needed 2-0 victory over Dundee United, their first league win in eight attempts.
