‘Let us not count chickens or maybe at this time of year, that should be turkeys,’ David Potter

Not a game that will live long in anyone’s memory, but actually quite good TV entertainment (glad I was out of that horrendous rain!) in which Celtic under-performed and Hearts over-performed on a pitch that was a bit fast for both teams, and one of the reasons why we never saw any great Celtic football, but then again, December is not a month for vintage football. It is a month for winning games, and this Celtic did. For that, we should be grateful.

We should, of course, have won by a great deal more. The goals taken were classy ones – Ryan Christie’s coming out of nothing, and Olivier Ntcham’s, as everyone kept telling us, not as easy as it seemed. (I myself thought it was going over). Against that, Jamesie missed a horror between the two goals, and in the second half, several of our number battered the ball against the goalkeeper (who had a great game, I thought) when they should have scored. And the “third” offside goal? Michael Stewart was by no means the only person to be bamboozled by the delay, nor was he very impressed by Stephen Craigan’s “protocol”.

As it was, the 2-0 score line always gave the slight possibility that Hearts might fight back, but our defence was capable of dealing with it. Other more incisive teams on a better surface might have done better against Celtic, but the three points are with us. Hearts, on that showing, however, will not be relegated and their opening 20 minutes showed a spirit that has been lacking at Tynecastle for some time.

I questioned Neil’s substitutions. Leigh Griffiths really should have been on a good half hour earlier, because I never felt that Eddy was happy tonight. Forrest too was having a poorish game, and he was indeed substituted, but I felt that that too should have been earlier and not by a defensive minded player like Nir Bitton. Tom Rogic might have been better. I always felt that we should have gone for the third goal to make things safe.

It was one of those games that you simply have to win. We are now five points clear, and those of us who can count will work out that it could be eight by the New Year, but let us not count chickens or maybe at this time of year, that should be turkeys. Talking about the time of year, I thought the Green Brigade were in good form tonight, wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and to “fry the buns” (which seems to be a new Xmas idea that I have never heard of). Or maybe I misheard?

Gordon Strachan and Ally McCoist both analysed well, I thought, both finding it funny when Neil Lennon talked about “jibes” from the terracings! Aye, they are terrible things are “jibes”!

Aberdeen at Celtic Park on Saturday. (Yes! Saturday 3.00 pm! An odd time, that!) The Dons will not be easy either. They can rise to the occasion, but we should still be too good for them. Assuming that the Rangers beat Hibs on Friday night (not guaranteed, although they should finish this game with 11 men) we can once again go 5 points clear on the Saturday with the Rangers having a game in hand. Incidentally, maybe I am being stupid but I cannot work out when the Rangers are going to play that game.

Like us, they are booked up twice a week between January 18 and the next International break at the end of March! Unless, of course, they get beat in the Scottish Cup or Europe!