The Goals Just Keep On Coming For The Bhoys

By Tony Quinn

Andreas Hinkel grabbed his first goal for Celtic as they beat Hearts 3-0 in the Scottish Premier League clash at Parkhead on Saturday. Celtic started the game well and were denied the opener by the woodwork in the opening minutes after McDonald was fouled just outside the box by Jonsson. Shunsuke Nakamura stepped up for the free-kick and sent a curling effort crashing off the post. With 13 minutes gone, Aiden McGeady delivered a cross from the left and Vennegoor of Hesselink managed to connect to stab into the bottom corner from eight yards out. After 51 minutes, Nakamura's inswinging corner reached the back post where the unmarked McDonald was waiting to nod home his 24th goal of the season from close range. With 15 minutes to go, Celtic put the game beyond their visitors. McGeady's back-heel found Hinkel, who produced a quality finish to smash home an unstoppable right-footed drive. Sub Georgios Samaras could have claimed a goal of his own in the final minutes only to look on in frustration as his thunderous effort cracked off the post.

After the game, Gordon Strachan hailed his players for slashing the gap at the top of the SPL to a single point after a 3-0 victory over Hearts. "We knew it would be a big day - and I think the crowd knew it was going to be a big day as well - and the players responded fantastically. It was as good a start as we have had this year - it was a terrific start against a really good side."

The win also sets up Celtic nicely for the visit of Barcelona in the Champions League on Wednesday night.

Strachan said: "They all seem to be 100 per cent fit, so we are pleased with that. They weren't keeping anything back with the way they were running, the way they were chasing, and I like to see that."

Strachan though still believes Rangers are still the team to beat in the SPL. He said: "If we'd not closed the gap on Rangers we'd have felt bad about ourselves but we can take pride in our performance. But Rangers are still top and have played very well and very consistently. So we appreciate the hard work that lies ahead for us but we can only do our own job."

Celtic may have been dealt a blow ahead of the first leg of their Champions League clash with Barcelona. Bobo Balde has a torn hamstring and may be out of the game. Coupled with the fact Andreas Hinkel is ineligible for the game, Balde would probably have been re-instated to the center of the defense while Gary Caldwell would have been moved to right back. Balde returned from international duty following the African Cup of Nations with a strained hamstring but aggravated it in training last week and is out for at least three weeks.

Clarence Seedorf thinks Celtic could go all the way and win the Champions League. Ahead of this week's game with Arsenal Seedorf said: "We are champions of Europe and we have won this competition five times. We know how to handle these occasions. We have experience and we also have cunning, especially when it comes to ties over two legs. I liked the way Celtic played against us - with their hearts. You never know, a team like them could win the Champions League. Porto won it in 2004 with a simple team."

Chairman John Reid says playerd will be able to turn down big-money offers after releasing the latest financial results. Pre-tax profits for the six months to the end of 2007 were announced as £10.07million and hailed as "outstanding" by chief executive Peter Lawwell. With Aiden McGeady, Scott Brown and Artur Boruc all admired by other clubs, Reid insists Celtic are in a position of strength when it comes to player trading and believes any player leaving Celtic could regret the decision. Reid said: "You can't force players to stay, but we have over the past few years run a very good financial policy... We have no desire to sell any of our players. I can't say they will never want away. Players sometimes do want away. I think sometimes they make a mistake when they go away from Celtic. I think sometimes they regret it and they miss the back-up and the family and the support that they get here. We can't force people to stay but we don't want anyone to go."

Celtic ranked 17th in the recently released 'money league', a study of annual revenue generated by clubs worldwide. Celtic were the only club from outside the Italian, Spanish, English, German and French leagues to feature on the list. But Chairman Reid admits the club will find it difficult to improve on that standing, given their income from domestic TV contracts amounts to around £2million. Reid said. "We come in 17th out of the top 20 in the world and I'm delighted and pleased with that, but I also know that if you add the minimum we would have got for playing in the Premier League - coming bottom of the Premier League and getting £35million - if you add that to where Celtic presently are we automatically get into the top 10."