There was a sense that this game was always going to go to a certain script.

Neil Lennon’s return to a ground of many an incident seemed set up for drama of some kind and it did not disappoint with a last gasp winner after Hearts had looked more than capable of taking a point from the Parkhead side. All eyes were on Neil Lennon as Celtic looked to catch their breath after the winding nature of this week’s events but although Brendan Rodgers might be gone his actions will take a while to be forgotten.

READ MORE: Brendan Rodgers leaves Celtic for Leicester City 

Here are five things we learned from Tynecastle.

Rodgers’ legacy at Celtic is in grave danger of being utterly reframed by the club’s support given the manner of his exit. That may seem harsh given in the light of what Rodgers achieved and how he achieved it in his 32 months at the club but the manner of his swift exit mid-season are not likely to be forgotten by those who pay their money every week. Time will settle the jarring sense of rawness that the Parkhead support have but they will not be shy at getting their point across in the meantime. Last night’s hastily arranged banner was pretty succinct: “You traded immortality for mediocrity. Never a Celt. Always a fraud.” Just 48 hours earlier an expression of such thoughts would have been tantamount to treason. History does not auger well for Rodgers in terms of finding a way back into the good books. The Celtic support are not renowned for a willingness to forgive and forget when it comes to those whom they have judged to have betrayed a trust.

Craig Gordon might have a spring in his step this week. The former Hearts goalkeeper would have had a close eye on Neil Lennon as the new incumbent of the Celtic dug-out great increasingly frustrated at some points with the reliance on always playing out from the back. By the time that Scott Bain’s pass left Kristoffer Ajer exposed and the Norwegian ended up bringing down Arnaud Djoum as he sought to nullify the danger there had already been much cajoling from Lennon to utilise other options, as he seemed to hint towards in his post-match analysis. 

READ MORE: Brian Beacom: Does Brendan Rodgers’ Celtic exit prove loyalty is an outdated concept? 

Neil Lennon looked like he had never been away from the fray as he donned the Celtic gear again and paced the touchline with his trademark animation and pocket of snuff; irked at passes gone astray, frustration when Celtic were giving the ball away cheaply. The 47-year-old pledged at his press conference earlier in the day that he had matured somewhat over the years and vowed to be on his best behaviour. That was put to the test with an injury time winner and although he set off running down the trackside, he did make an attempt to keep a lid on it.

If Lennon and Brendan Rodgers have commonalities in terms of their attacking football philosophies, they are in stark contrast when it comes to their dug-out demeanour. Rarely out of the tailored suit and soft Italian shoes, Rodgers’ conduct was never anything other than pristine. Lennon worked hard to keep his emotions in check as he celebrated Odsonne Edouard’s injury time winner with the Celtic players and support but he couldn’t resist having a little fist pump towards the Hearts support and a jocular cup of the ears to his own support as he cavorted in the celebrations.

READ MORE: The Bulletin: Lennon hails winning mentality | Brown 'Rodgers was fantastic'

Regardless of the length of the grass, Hearts are always capable of mounting a robust and meaty challenge whenever Celtic are in town. They were unlucky last night not to take a point from the game having restricted the visiting side to very few genuine chances. They were reduced to ten men following the first-half dismissal of Jamie Brandon after he led with an arm in an aerial challenge with Jeremy Toljan but it could have been worse for Hearts; Peter Haring could well have been off for a foul on Scott Bain after already having been booked.