Scottish Cup, quarter-final

Saturday, March 11, 2023

Tynecastle Park, Edinburgh

HEARTS… 0

CELTIC… 3

(Mooy 2, Kyogo 45, Carter-Vickers 80)

Celtic ensured they would be making another trip to Hampden Park this season as they booked their spot in the Scottish Cup semi-finals with 3-0 win over Hearts.

Goals from Aaron Mooy and Kyogo in the first-half and then a header from Cameron Carter-Vickers in the second sealed the quarter-final victory away in Edinburgh, and it’s a result that keeps Celtic’s hopes of winning all three domestic honours alive this season.

It was the second meeting between the sides in four days with the Celts earning all three points in Wednesday’s 3-1 victory at Celtic Park.

This time it was a packed Tynecastle as the venue with a place in the semi-finals of the Scottish Cup up for grabs and with more than 3,500 Celtic fans packed into the away end, they didn’t have to wait long to celebrate.

The signs of intent came straight from kick-off as Celtic went on the attack and Reo Hatate forced a stunning stop from Zander Clark inside the first 30 seconds, with the Scotland keeper having to tip his fierce drive from the left of the box out of the top-right corner.

But he was left helpless less than 90 seconds later as Aaron Mooy slammed the Hoops into the lead.

Alistair Johnston played the ball down the right for Jota who jinked one way and let the ball run across his body to open the space. With grass to run into, the winger powered down the channel before cutting the perfect ball back to Mooy on the penalty spot and he smashed home with his left-foot for his seventh of the season.

The pace did not drop from Celtic after this as the opening 15 minutes were complete domination and it brought a number of good opportunities to create a scoring chance but the final pass was just missing.

Hearts slowly began to find their feet and when they did eventually threaten on 23 minutes there was no way past Joe Hart. Toby Sibbick had the effort, swivelling inside the area and slamming a shot towards the bottom right corner which, somehow, Hart got down low to keep out before springing off the floor to prevent James Hill on the rebound.

That only reinvigorated the Celtic charge and it was almost 2-0 on 34 minutes as Hatate raced onto Kyogo’s flick-on and tried to dink the ball over Clark but the keeper got his body in the way.

With the last kick of the half, it would be two, as Kyogo made it two goals in four days against Hearts with a sublime finish. Johnston was the man who laid it on a plate, putting in a first-time cross right across the face of the goal and there was Kyogo, as always, to get across his marker and turn into the net with an audacious back-heel.

Celts book another Hampden trip with commanding win over Hearts