Celtic supporters were given their first glimpse of January recruit Tomas Cvancara in Sunday’s trip to Tynecastle.
Martin O’Neill showed immediate faith in the new signing by naming him in the starting line-up for the crucial Premiership meeting with Hearts. The striker was thrown straight into the intensity of a top-of-the-table encounter.
Celtic twice found themselves in front, with Cvancara playing a key role by setting up one of the goals, but they ultimately had to settle for a share of the spoils. Auston Trusty’s dismissal shifted the momentum and the mood inside the dressing room was one of frustration after the 2-2 draw.
Cvancara offered an honest assessment of a scrappy contest that lacked flow and rhythm. He acknowledged it was a physical and stop-start affair, with both sides struggling to produce consistent quality. Despite that, he felt Celtic had chances to take all three points and were disappointed not to do so.
Speaking to Celtic TV, the forward admitted the match was tough from start to finish. He pointed to the number of duels and long balls as factors that made it difficult to find any real momentum. While one point was better than nothing, he felt Celtic had the opportunity to win.
He also reflected on conceding twice from set pieces, admitting those moments proved costly and were areas the team must improve. Cvancara added that his own display was affected by a hectic few days after arriving at the club only recently, with limited training time and travel taking its toll.
The Czech striker was pleased to contribute an assist for Hyun Jun Yang but believed he still had more to give. He remained confident about Celtic’s title push, insisting the race is far from over.
For a debut outing with minimal preparation, Cvancara’s numbers were encouraging. He played 66 minutes, registered two shots, hit the woodwork once and recorded an assist. He was involved in duels throughout, winning battles both on the ground and in the air, and earned a solid rating of seven from Sofascore.