Joe Hart makes Celtic system admission after 'mayhem' of Rangers draw

Celtic keeper Joe Hart has conceded his team’s desire to take it to opponents could have played a part in them failing to hold on for the derby victory that would have effectively sealed the title.

However, the 34-year-old refused to lament the approach in the aftermath of Rangers’ hitting back for a 1-1 draw that means Ange Postecoglou’s men could still require four points from their closing three games to be out of reach in the cinch Premiership. Instead, Hart believes that Postecoglou’s commitment to attack is what has placed Celtic in a position where only a spectacular collapse will prevent them claiming the championship, which would be all but a done deal should they win at home to Hearts next Saturday.

“I felt like we dominated but they are a hard team to put away,” said Hart when asked whether the draw with Rangers was a fair result. “They are resilient, and they are dangerous on the counter-attack and I think with our aggressive style of play, if we are not two or three goals ahead, people have always got a chance. But we stick by those foundations, stick by that way of playing football. It has won us more than it has drawn us games. It is what it is. And we have another three big ones coming up.

“This league is not set up for us to win it. There is opposition out there, there are other teams trying to do it. Rangers mathematically are still in this fight. They are never going to lie down. This fixture wouldn’t allow them to lie down and that is why it is such a great fixture to be involved in.”

Hart’s endeavours were crucial to Celtic avoiding defeat, none more so than when he somehow clawed away a fiercely-struck Scott Arfield effort with his outstretched right hand at ankle height. The former English international, though, was modest about his stunning reflex stop, and the importance of it.

“Ah, look it is mayhem out there,” he said. “I love playing football, love being in goal and sometimes you do things that you ideally don’t want to do, that you know you are better than. And sometimes you do things where your body and your instincts take over, and I don’t know actually what happened, I just know it stayed out.”