Soccer

Celtic stroll home after Hearts reduced to 10 men

Home skipper Morgaro Gomis gets straight red for challenge on Scott Brown

Hearts captain Morgaro Gomis was sent off for this tackle on Celtic skipper Scott Brown during the Scottish Cup fourth-round tie at Tynecastle Stadium, Edinburgh. Photograph:Jeff Holmes/PA
Hearts captain Morgaro Gomis was sent off for this tackle on Celtic skipper Scott Brown during the Scottish Cup fourth-round tie at Tynecastle Stadium, Edinburgh. Photograph:Jeff Holmes/PA
Sun Nov 30 2014 - 17:36

Hearts 0 Celtic 4

Celtic eased into the last 16 of the Scottish Cup with a comfortable 4-0 win over 10-man Hearts at Tynecastle.

A difficult task for the Championship leaders became daunting in the eighth minute when home skipper Morgaro Gomis was shown a straight red card by referee Willie Collum for his challenge on Hoops counterpart Scott Brown.

Celtic took advantage of the extra man, although they had to wait until the 28th minute before defender Virgil van Dijk shot them into the lead following a corner.

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However, the second half quickly turned into a rout. John Guidetti scored his 11th of the season with a penalty in the 51st minute and fellow forward Anthony Stokes made it 3-0 with a drive three minutes later before Van Dijk headed in a Stefan Johansen corner for his second of the game as the Parkhead men showed no mercy.

Gomis’s dismissal was undoubtedly a pivotal moment, but at the end of a dispiriting afternoon Hearts were probably glad that the 7-0 scoreline from the same stage of the competition last season was not repeated.