1934-12-29: Celtic 4-2 Heart of Midlothian, League Division 1

Match Pictures | Matches: 19341935 | 1934 Pictures

Trivia

  • Johnny Crum scored for Celtic in 9 minutes, then Dave McCulloch equalised for Hearts three minutes later, only for Jimmy McGrory to restore Celtic's lead on 14 minutes, and it stayed that way until just after the break when McCulloch again equalised. Jimmy McGrory had the last say in 76 and 85 minutes, completing his hat-trick and putting the issue beyond doubt.
  • There were two outstanding games in the First Division of the Scottish League on Saturday, and the results had no little effect upon the positions of the leading clubs. The Celtic defeated the Heart of Midlothian, and the Rangers could but draw at Motherwell. It was a severe blow to the hopes of the Tynecastle Club that they should be defeated, and they may find it difficult to recover the lost ground. Celtic's success was typical of their fighting qualities, and the League now assumes a familiar aspect with the Parkhead men second on the list to the Rangers. The two points gained were all the more valuable to Celtic, as the Rangers took but one point from Motherwell. And it required a great effort on the part of the Ibrox men to escape defeat — an effort which would appear to indicate that their big win over Dunfermline Athletic was but a flash of their best form.
  • In England Sunderland won away at Huddersfield to stay top on goal difference from Manchester City who beat West Brom 3-2 at Maine Road. Arsenal without Alex James could only draw with Portsmouth at Highbury.
  • The Japanese Ambassador in Washington called at the State Department (Foreign Office) and lodged formal intimation of Japan's abrogation of the Washington Naval Treaty. Two years' notice of intention to denounce the Treaty is required under its provisions, so the Treaty will lapse on December 31, 1936.

Review

Teams

CELTIC:
Kennaway, Hogg, McGonagle, Dawson, MacDonald, Paterson, Delaney, Crum, McGrory, Napier, H. O’Donnell.
Scorers:
Crum, McGrory, (3).

HEART OF MIDLOTHIAN:
Harkness, Anderson, McClure, Massie, J. Johnston, Herd, Munro, T. Walker, McCulloch, McKenzie, R. Johnstone.
Scorers:
McCulloch, (2).

Referee: W. Webb (Glasgow).
Attendance: 35,000

Articles

  • Match Report (see end of page below)

Pictures

Articles

The Scotsman – Monday, 31st December 1934, page 5

HEART OF MIDLOTHIAN BEATEN

GREAT MATCH AT PARKHEAD

Fully 35,000 spectators were present at Parkhead, Glasgow, for the meeting of the Celtic and the Heart of Midlothian, and expectations of a thrilling match were fully realised.

The Celtic won by four goals to two, but the result was by no means in accordance with the run of the play, and had the Hearts proved victorious they could not have been termed fortunate. The Edinburgh men played clever and forceful football, particularly on the right flank, where Massie, Walker, and Munro, made many delightful passing advances which threatened danger to the Celtic goal. Walker was specially deft in his footwork, and, even if he were at times off the mark with his shooting, he was certainly always ready to try to score.

Munro responded well to the good backing of Walker and Massie, making ground rapidly without loss of time, and showing an ability to beat his man in small space. His only weakness was in crossing as on many occasions he failed to lift the ball sufficiently high to reach the Celtic goalmouth.

McCulloch was also in good form at centre-forward, scoring two fine goals, and being within inches of getting more on four different occasions. The left wing play did not reach the same high standard as the right, but McKenzie and Johnstone were by no means weak, and they harassed the opposing defence severely, there was however, an absence of shooting from that side of the field, and McKenzie failed to take advantage of an easy opening created by McCulloch through lack of speed.

In the Hearts' half-back line Massie was most prominent in forcing on the play and A. Johnston for defensive work. Herd, on the left, was not at his best against the Celtic right wingers, and his non-success in his tackling threw too much responsibility on McClure at full-back, who frequently had two opponents to face, and at times found the ask too much for him.

Anderson, at right back, was in excellent form both in tackling and kicking. He and Massie had generally the mastery over the Celtic left wing, but must share the blame for bad marking of McGrory when he scored his first and third goals from crosses by Delaney on the Celtic right.

Harkness was in no way at fault in losing four goals and gave a sound display all through. The winners were not up to the best Celtic standard as a side, but they had fine players in Kennaway in goal, Hogg, at right back, McDonald at centre-half, and of course, McGrory at centre-forward. The last named was the real match-winner with his three goals, the second of which was a particularly fine effort. Receiving the ball 40 yards from the Hearts' goal through an astute move on the part of Napier, he dashed straight ahead without opposition, no Hearts' player getting near enough to attempt a tackle, and completely beat Harkness with a raking drive from about 15 yards' range. His other goals were also well taken, but could have been prevented by better positional play by the Hearts' defenders.

Delaney and Crum on the Celtic right, were a clever and go-ahead pair, and most of the danger to Harkness came from that side of the field. Crum opened the scoring for the Celtic in nine minutes. McCulloch equalised three minutes later following perhaps the best combined move of the game by Massie, Walker, Munro, and the scorer; and McGrory restored the Celtic's lead in 14 minutes.

The Hearts were still a goal down at the interval, but McCulloch put them on level terms again when seven minutes of the second half had been played. In 30 and 39 minutes McGrory added further goals for the Celtic who thus won a match in which they had considerably less than their share of the play.

Celtic v Hearts Dec 1934

Generally speaking the play was good and the pace fast. Hearts had the better of it except for the later stages of the second half. Their half-backs forced the play and carried the ball forward in a way that the Celtic men were not competent to do.

The visiting forwards played well, and McCulloch opened up the game; his passes to the right placed nicely behind McGonagle had the back in a quandary throughout the game. But Hearts failed in that their wing men, having got the ball and cut in, would not shoot. That without doubt cost them the game.