Hearts must avoid defeat at Celtic to end 66-year title wait

LONDON: Hearts head into a decisive final-day showdown at Celtic knowing they must come away unbeaten on Saturday if they are to secure their first Scottish league title in 66 years.

The title race has gone down to the last match after Celtic were awarded a controversial 99th-minute penalty in a 3-2 win at Motherwell on Wednesday. That result left the defending champions just one point behind Hearts, meaning a victory on Saturday would hand Celtic a 14th title in 15 seasons.

The late twist also changed the equation for the finale. Had Celtic not found a winner at Motherwell, they would have needed to beat Hearts by three goals because Hearts hold the superior goal difference.

No club other than Celtic and Rangers has won the Scottish title for 41 years, but Hearts have spent almost the entire season at the top of the table. Their challenge has come while both sides of Glasgow's Old Firm have dealt with upheaval during the campaign.

Hearts have also been helped by the arrival of Brighton owner Tony Bloom and his widely noted data analytics programme, which has aided their attempt to compete despite a major financial gap with Celtic.

Penalty controversy adds tension

The build-up to the title decider has been dominated by the penalty awarded to Celtic in stoppage time at Motherwell. The decision came after Motherwell's Sam Nicholson was judged to have handled the ball in the area, though replays did not provide a clear answer on whether his raised arm had made contact.

It's actually quite disgusting, to be honest.

Hearts manager Derek McInnes said after Kelechi Iheanacho converted the spot-kick to seal Celtic's win.

It feels like us against everybody.

Former England striker Gary Lineker also criticised the call, describing it as possibly the worst VAR decision I've seen.

Fan-owned Hearts said in a statement on Thursday that they were extremely concerned by decisions in recent matches and had asked football authorities for explanations.

Echoes of 1985/86

The prospect of losing the title to Celtic at the final hurdle carries painful memories for Hearts supporters. When they last came close to winning the league in 1985/86, they also only needed to avoid defeat in their final match. Instead, Hearts conceded twice in the last seven minutes to lose 2-0 to Dundee, allowing Celtic to take the title on goal difference.

Celtic's own season has been turbulent on and off the pitch. A failure to strengthen the squad last summer angered supporters and contributed to Brendan Rodgers's acrimonious departure in October.

Wilfried Nancy then remained in charge for only 33 days, losing six of his eight matches. Martin O'Neill, 74, has twice returned to Celtic Park in interim spells to stabilise the situation.

Although supporters have continued to call for change in the boardroom, protests have eased during the run-in. The club has also lifted a six-month ban on an ultras group attending matches.

All of that leaves the championship to be decided in one final meeting, with Hearts trying to complete a breakthrough season and Celtic aiming to extend their long domestic dominance.