IT WAS an evening of consequence at Celtic Park last night.

The days and weeks preceding it had made it so for Celtic and, more importantly, for their manager Ronny Deila.

Exactly one year ago to the night the Glasgow club bowed out at the same stage of the League Cup with much huffing and puffing against Morton, whose impenetrable house built in front of their goal remained intact during a 1-0 win after extra-time.

It was a result which caused manager Neil Lennon a few sleepless nights before he eventually shrugged it off and returned his attention to forging a campaign domestically and in the Champions League.

Previous results this campaign dictated his successor did not have the luxury of treating a potential repeat of that result, this time against Hearts, with the same attitude.

Three wins from six SPFL Premiership games, failure to qualify for Europe's premier competition and frequent starting line-up changes had brought this cup-tie's significance firmly into focus for many around Parkhead.

Win, and the former Stromsgodset manager could breathe a little easier going into an eight-day spell which could play a pivotal role in the club's season with St Mirren on league duty on Saturday and a home tie against Dinamo Zagreb a week tonight in the Europa League.

Lose? Well, it simply wasn't an option which was worth contemplating.

As it turned out, Deila could relax in the knowledge his team's safe passage into the next round was secure after a bizarre 10-minute second-half spell helped Celtic run out 3-0 winners over their Championship counterparts.

One-up at the break thanks to John Guidetti's first goal for the club, the Hoops survived a Hearts penalty miss before Kris Commons converted one of their own at the other end less than two minutes later and Adam Eckersley somehow bundled the ball into his own net to put the result beyond doubt.

The Celtic manager admitted earlier in the week that six changes for the team which laboured to a 1-1 draw with Motherwell was perhaps a bit too adventurous, yet he continued to tinker further with his starting XI last night.

Lukasz Zaluska, Nir Bitton, Aleksandar Tonev and Beram Kayal all dropped back down to the bench as Deila sought reliability through the spine of his team.

Former Gorgie goalie Craig Gordon was brought in to face his old side along with Stefan Johansen, Scott Brown and Kris Commons - the latter two combining in Sunday's second half to conjure up an equalising goal against the Steelmen.

Despite this dynamic duo's reintroduction, it was the visitors who enjoyed most of the opening exchanges and could have gone ahead after 12 minutes.

Callum Paterson's wicked low cross from the right scuttled along the six-yard line towards Osman Sow who would surely have scored had it not been for Jason Denayer's outstretched leg.

From then on Celtic took control. A plethora of chances soon followed with Guidetti's miss after 15 minutes the pick of the bunch.

Hearts centre-half Alim Ozturk got himself into a fankle, allowing the Swede a free shot at goal from all of five yards, which he duly shanked two feet by Neil Alexander's right post.

Next to try his luck was Denayer whose hurried shot was smothered by the ex-Rangers shot-stopper, with Commons twice being denied in quick succession by the veteran and a collaboration of flying defenders' legs.

Brown also tried to get in on the act, firing a fierce volley straight at Alexander, who was quickly becoming the busiest man in a sparsely-populated Parkhead.

However, despite the former Ibrox man's heroics, it was another old Ger who would eventually play a pivotal role in Celtic's opener on 24 minutes.

Emilio Izaguirre swung in a curling cross which appeared to catch Danny Wilson off guard and off-balance.

The Hearts skipper ballooned his headed clearance straight up in the air, only for Guidetti to lash it low into the net after it had returned back down to Earth.

The Hoops went close twice again before Izaguirre almost pushed the self-destruct button seconds prior to half-time.

The Honduran played a blind passback to Gordon only for the awaiting Jamie Walker to intercept.

The Hearts forward scampered in on goal but, presumably awaiting a recovering challenge, hurriedly thundered his shot off the bar.

For all the drama prior to the break, however, this tie was won in a frenetic 10-minute spell which saw Hearts capitulate spectacularly.

Fifty five minutes in and they were firstly gifted a path back into the encounter. A long punt to Sow saw the Swede pull the ball down brilliantly in the box before hitting the deck while in the presence of Virgil van Dijk.

The 24-year-old picked himself up to take the kick, however he'll wish he had given someone else the honours as he blazed the ball a good five feet over the bar.

Within 90 seconds it was 2-0. A ball into the box to Guidetti caused a rush of blood to the head for Ozturk who barged the on-loan Manchester City forward to the turf.

Referee Willie Collum showed no hesitation in awarding the penalty and neither did Commons in taking it, lashing the ball into the bottom left corner.

A torrid spell for Hearts was completed just four minutes later.

Anthony Stokes smashed an effort across the face of goal only for former Manchester United academy graduate Adam Eckersley to bizarrely chest the ball into his own net.

Substitute Tonev had a goal disallowed for offside with 10 minutes to go.

But by then it didn't matter, a winning start to Deila's crucial week had already been secured.