Celtic win Scottish Premiership title after dramatic late comeback against Hearts

Thousands of Celtic fans are celebrating in the streets of Glasgow after dashing Hearts' dreams of winning their first top flight league trophy in 66 years.

The Hoops retained their Scottish Premiership title for the fifth year in a row with a 3-1 victory over the Edinburgh side at Celtic Park.

Heart of Midlothian only needed a draw to end the 40-year dominance of Glasgow clubs but two quick goals in the final minutes secured Celtic the win they required.

Police Scotland said a number of roads in the Trongate area had been closed in anticipation of title celebrations and people were advised to avoid the area.

The Gallowgate is shut between Watson Street and High Street. London Road is closed between Glasgow Cross and James Morrison Street.

High Street and Saltmarket remain open.

Despite the Jambos scoring the first goal of the match, Celtic quickly equalised and two late goals - by Daizen Maeda and substitute Callum Osmand - sealed their fate.

Ecstatic Celtic fans poured onto the pitch as the third goal went into the net, with Hearts players escorted down the tunnel by police and officials.

BBC Sportscene pundit Allan Preston said some of the Celtic fans appeared to be targeting Hearts captain Lawrence Shankland.

The match, which was approaching the end of the indicated eight minutes of added time, did not restart after the pitch invasion.

The Hearts players and staff made a hasty exit, with some players still in their match kit on the team bus as they headed back to Edinburgh.

Asked about reports that fans had assaulted Hearts players, Celtic boss Martin O'Neill said: "If some Hearts players have been accosted, then that's just not right at all.

"I genuinely didn't see the scenes at the end because I thought the game wasn't over, so I'm trying to push some of our fans off the pitch again to play whatever's left."

Earlier, as his team lifted the trophy, O'Neill, now aged 74, said the Celtic players and coaching staff had "given me a reason to live".

Celtic captain Callum McGregor praised the mentality of his players after everyone "wrote us off".

"We knew we would get a chance for sure, this is the way this group is, they just keep going and going," he said.

Many Celtic fans watched the game in bars across Glasgow, among themIan who followed the match in Connolly's.

"That was exceptional - St Martin of O'Neill delivered for his Celtic family," he said of the result.

Another Celtic fan, Aidan, said the result had topped the birth of his two children.

"I've never experienced anything like this in my life," he said.

Fewer than 800 Hearts fans were inside the stadium in Glasgow but thousands had gathered in pubs in Edinburgh to watch on TV, hopeful that their side would pull off a remarkable footballing achievement.

Fiona, who was at the Tynecastle Arms with her 10-year-old daughter Olivia, said she was "proud and devastated" following the result.

"A lot of my friends think it's 11 men kicking a ball around a field but it's more than that for us," she said.

She added that there was "so much to look forward to" and she was hopeful for the future.

"Whether it's next year or whether it's five or ten years - it will happen eventually," she said.

Edinburgh's Lord Provost Robert Aldridge sent his commiserations to the club, saying it was a heart breaking ending for players who had given "absolutely everything" at Celtic Park.

"The club has had such a great campaign, bringing so much joy, excitement and inspiration to their fans and to the wider community," he said.

'Celebrate responsibly'

There was a heavy police presence in Glasgow both before and after the match.

As a precautionary measure glass was removed from bus stop shelters on Friday, and the club urged supporters to avoid mass gatherings which have a "high impact" on the city.