Hearts fume at Alex Cochrane's disputed red card as Celtic win the Premiership title at Tynecastle

Controversial decision before half-time swung the high-octane fixture in Celtic’s favour

Hearts were left brimming with indignation at Alex Cochrane’s red card as Celtic won the Premiership title with a 2-0 victory at Tynecastle Park. Kyogo Furuhashi and substitute Hyeongyu Oh claimed the goals in the second half, however the match hinged on Cochrane’s dismissal late in the first half.

The defender received a straight red card from referee Nick Walsh after a VAR review, the officials deciding that his pull on Celtic’s Daizen Maeda denied the Japanese a clear goalscoring opportunity. The Hearts defender Kye Rowles was in attendance and poised to clear, but Walsh decided Cochrane should be ordered off after first issuing a yellow card and then checking his touchline monitor on VAR’s advice.

The home camp were outraged. Hearts had been excellent until that point thanks to a passionate and dynamic performance. Celtic appeared harassed and frustrated throughout the opening 45 minutes, but they were never likely to miss the opportunity to seize their advantage following Cochrane’s dismissal.

Both managers named attacking line-ups and Hearts began aggressively, with Lawrence Shankland’s early header forcing Joe Hart into an important save. Rowles volleyed narrowly wide of the visitors’ goal as the initial home pressure continued.

Hearts pressed Celtic high up the pitch and stopped them establishing any genuine rhythm in the first half. The hosts’ use of the ball was sometimes questionable as they too often failed to supply striker Josh Ginnelly with the kind of forward delivery that would turn the visiting defence. There was no debate, however, that Celtic were unsettled.

The game swung in Celtic’s favour moments before the interval. Cochrane pulled Maeda back chasing Anthony Ralston’s long ball and, after a touchline monitor review by referee Nick Walsh, was judged to have denied a clear goalscoring opportunity. That’s despite Rowles being well placed to intercept the danger. Cochrane received a straight red card as an arduous task became evermore difficult for those in maroon.

Supporters vented their fury as the half-time whistle sounded, but only after the Celtic winger Jota sent Hearts interim manager Steven Naismith into the air in an unintentional touchline collision. Tensions were building. Celtic hadn’t properly tested Zander Clark prior to scoring first on 68 minutes. Callum McGregor’s loping pass found Reo Hatate in behind and his low cross from the right was prodded into the net by the sliding Kyogo.

Hearts defender Alex Cochrane speaks to Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou after being sent off.

It was the strike which seemed to become inevitable once Hearts were reduced to ten men. They continued battling valiantly but lacked numbers in the opposing half when going forward. In the technical area, Naismith frequently bawled instructions for passes to go up the pitch instead of back. Celtic used the one-goal cushion to their advantage and made it 2-0 with ten minutes remaining.

Substitute Aaron Mooy got forward to deliver a low cross into the path of fellow replacement Oh, who poked a one-touch finish beyond Clark into the far corner of the net.

Hearts (4-2-3-1): Clark; Hill, Sibbick, Rowles, Cochrane; Devlin (Kiomourtzoglou 74), Haring; Oda (Kingsley 45), Shankland, McKay (Grant 81); Ginnelly (Humphrys 81).

Celtic (4-3-3): Hart; Ralston, Starfelt, Kobayashi, Taylor; O’Riley (Mooy 70), McGregor, Hatate (Iwata 86); Jota (Haksabanovic 79), Kyogo (Oh 70), Maeda (Abada 79).

Referee: Nick Walsh.

Attendance: 18,143.