Scottish Premiership
Tynecastle, Edinburgh
Sunday, April 2, 2017

HEARTS...0

CELTIC...5
(Sinclair 24, 27, 85 pen. Armstrong 55, Roberts 62)

SCOTT Sinclair hammered in a hat-trick as Celtic ruthlessly swept aside Hearts 5-0 at Tynecastle to seal a sixth successive championship in style and, remarkably, without defeat. Sinclair’s quick-fire double had the Hoops in charge at the break, despite the best efforts of the home side.

Fabulous finishes from Stuart Armstrong and Patrick Roberts in the second half ensured Brendan Rodgers’ side would harvest the three points they needed to cross the finishing line. And there was still time for Sinclair to claim his hat-trick and notch up his 21st goal of the season from the penalty spot after he was felled in the box by Krytian Nowak.

It crowned off yet another dominant display from champions, and it was a fitting way to clinch the prize in a league campaign in which they have achieved astonishing levels of consistency and produced some scintillating attacking football.

The Bhoys’ victory over Hearts stretched their domestic unbeaten run since the start of the season to 37 matches, eclipsing a 100-year-old club record. And they clinched the championship with eight games to spare, having won 28 times and drawn twice – an extraordinary record.

Injuries to Moussa Dembele and Leigh Griffiths saw Roberts spearhead the Hoops attack in the only change from the team that saw off Dundee last weekend, with Dembele dropping out.

Celtic made a brisk start in the spring sunshine and Callum McGregor had the ball in the net inside the opening two minutes after a slick interchange of passes but the offside flag cut short the celebrations. Jamie Walker, who had collected an early booking for a late challenge on James Forrest, replied for the hosts with an opportunist volley from distance that flew wide.

Craig Gordon was then called into action by Esmael Goncalves after the striker had driven in from the left and unleashed a powerful shot from 18 yards. The home side were playing with plenty of vigour and Gordon came to Celtic’s rescue again in the 16th minute, blocking Goncalves’ angled drive.

Straight up the other end, Celtic broke at pace and McGregor spurned a good chance to open the scoring when Sinclair’s delicate delivery picked him out in space at the far post, the midfielder steering his shot wide.

It was pulsating, frenetic end-to-end stuff, but it was the Bhoys who made the breakthrough in the 24th minute. Sinclair raced onto Roberts’ return pass in the box, before lashing a ferocious shot into the roof of the net. The travelling support celebrated the goal with gusto and they had reason to cheer again three minutes later as Sinclair bagged his brace and doubled the advantage.

Roberts again was the provider. Receiving the ball near the halfway line, he neatly turned away from his marker and then played Sinclair in with a sublime pass. The winger’s pace took him clear of the Hearts defence and he gave goalkeeper Jack Hamilton no chance with a clinical finish.

On this day: Five-star Celts sealed six-in-a-row in style