SPL Saturday April 19th

Hearts 2

Celtic 1

0:1 Larsson (59); 1:1 Stamp (72); 2:1 McCann (90)

Att: 15,855

MIB: John Rowbotham

Celtic: Douglas, Balde, Valgaeren Mjallby; Agathe, Lambert, Lennon, Petrov, Thompson; Hartson, Larsson

Another acrimonious affair at the Swinecastle sewer, overflowing with racist and sectarian taunts from the socially challenged and masonically afflicted maroon ballons infesting the Gorgie Gulag. Not content with the usual torrent of foul mouthed abuse, drunkenly slurred at the Celtic support, the Edinburgh Orcs, in an uncharacteristic fit of charitable affluence, took to showering us with coins. Outside the ground however, it was items of domestic hardware which were being aimed at anything in green and white. In one instance a hammer was donated to a car carrying Celtic fans as they left Gorgie. Lothian's finest saw fit not intervene; perhaps they were enjoying the spectacle.

On the park it was a recurrence of the recent 'minds on Europe' theme and a collapse befitting the Iraqi army at Baghdad. With an hour nearly gone Larsson continued his impressive strike rate against the capital's cloven hooves. But, in truth, it was against the run of play.

As at Dundee, Celtic didn't build on the lead and allowed Hearts to get back into it. An equaliser by Stamp and an injury time winner by Austin McCann sealed a dismal day and allowed TFOD a clear run at the title.

Celtic's tank eventually appears to have emptied. There was little on show on the pitch to suggest otherwise. The absence of Sutton, and the UEFA semi final are obvious factors influencing the team's performance. But title aspirations seem to have been put on the shelf. Only a win at the Death Star will do now and even then it will be out of our hands should TFOD win the remaining games.

Talk about black days ; only a dose of sun in Seville could cheer me up after this.