AS if the world didn't know by now, this Celtic team are up for a scrap. The battling qualities of Ronny Deila's side are becoming the stuff of legend and one day after Emilio Izaguirre required stitches after a training ground altercation with Nadir Ciftci they demonstrated that they are not prepared to give up their hold on the League Cup without a fight. Hearts pushed them a fair distance during this cagey quarter final tie, but goals in the last 20 minutes from Leigh Griffiths and Tom Rogic meant it was the holders who landed the knockout blow. They join St Johnstone and Ross County in the last four, with Hibs and Dundee United playing off to join them next week.

Hearts at Tynecastle usually goes down as one of Celtic's most uncomfortable assignments, and not just because of shocking memories of the night a crazed home fan ran on up the touchline to have a go at Neil Lennon. While the usual bile flowed in the stands, on the field the Parkhead side have now gone six visits here since their last defeat, racking up a 26-1 aggregate scoreline in the process. Deila oversaw a 4-0 win here last November in the Scottish Cup and that Leigh Griffiths should continue as the Tynecastle club's tormentor-in-chief hardly goes down as a surprise.

This match was anybody's until Stefan Johansen beat Morgaro Gomis to a loose ball, and Griffiths burst smartly between two men to roll in a sweet finish with his left foot. He promptly ran round behind the goal, administering a thumbs up to the home support then crossing back over to do likewise with his own fans, earning a booking in the process. He wasn't finished there, either, turning provider for the goal which gave Celtic breathing space, rolling across goal for substitute Tom Rogic to flick in cleverly. The cushion meant that Arnaud Djoum's late header from a Jamie Walker corner was only a consolation.

While the Celtic drama refused to become a crisis, there were a few fraught moments. Izaguirre, with freshly stitched war wounds, was recalled to the starting line-up in place of Kieran Tierney, but it wasn't the only bit of injury intrigue about. To lose one player to injury in the warm-up is bad luck; to lose two had the potential to be a disaster.

That was the fate which befell Ronny Deila last night, when his skipper complained of what appeared to be a knee strain and had to be removed from the team lines, with Gary Mackay-Steven feeling tightness in his groin and unable to take his place on the bench. Brown's place went to James Forrest, presumably necessitating a shift which saw Commons shuffled into his favoured role off the front, while Tyler Blackett was the recipient of Mackay-Steven's place on the bench. Whatever way you cut it, it wasn't exactly great timing, considering the meetings with Aberdeen on Saturday and Molde next Thursday which will go a long way to determine the success or failure of the season.

Robbie Neilson, whose side sit third in the table, six points behind Celtic, made a couple of changes from the side which took care of Ross County on league business, with Arnaud Djoum and Jamie Walker dropping out, and the game plan seemed simple enough. Play as narrow as possible, relying on your giant back four to win every cross which comes into your box, and hope twin strikers Juanma and Osman Sow would get some change out of Celtic's centre halves from long balls.

Jozo Simunovic, at £5.5m from Dinamo Zagreb, was signed as the man to restore solidity to Celtic's much maligned back line, and at home against Dundee United he had looked a snip at that money. He is only 21, though, in a foreign country, and a totally alien style of fotoball. Hearts' front two succeeded in throwing him out of his comfort zone.

These two were playing for the privilege of joining St Johnstone and Ross County in the last four - Hearts' Edinburgh rivals and Dundee United will battle it out next week too - but in truth both sides struggled to create clear cut chances. An early James Forrest shot might have been goalbound had it not struck Leigh Griffiths as he lurked in an offside position. Sow was too strong for Simunovic as he spun away from him in a central position but could only tug a shot wide. The impressive Stuart Armstong saw a shot deflected wide, then couldn't control a Forrest cross as it whizzed across the six-yard box.

The question was who would blink first but neither manager seemed inclined to change too much too soon. Commons blazed a right-foot shot wide from a decent position, then with Jamie Walker adding impetus to Hearts from the bench, Nir Bitton got the benefit of the doubt from Mr Beaton, with no second yellow forthcoming after a couple of fairly blatant fouls whilst on a booking.

Hearts had the ball in the net, Sow tucking in after Callum Paterson had knocked a Jordan McGhee free-kick into his path, but Celtic saw the offside flag and breathed again. Momentarily on the ropes, in what was the home side's only meaningful attempt on goal, Deila's Celtic regathered themselves and inflicted a world of pain on Hearts. If they can battle their way beyond Aberdeen and Molde in the next seven days, the spoils of victory may soon be theirs.

 

Hearts (4-2-3-1): Alexander; Paterson, Augustyn, Rossi, McGhee; Buaben (Djoum 81), Gomis; King (Walker 53), Sow, Nicholson; Juanma (Reilly 87).

Subs not used: Hamilton, Walker, Swanson, Smith, Zanatta

Celtic (4-2-3-1): Gordon; Lustig, Boyata, Simunovic, Izaguirre; Bitton, Johansen; Forrest (Rogic 59), Commons, Armstrong; Griffiths (Ciftci 82). 

Subs not used: Bailly, Ambrose, McGregor, Tierney

Booked: Hearts: Buaben 18, McGhee 34, Juanma 77. Celtic: Bitton 37, Griffiths 73 

Referee: J Beaton

Attendance: 11,598