EDINBURGH, Scotland -- Hearts expressed concerns Wednesday that a "troubling precedent" was set when their Scottish title decider against Celtic last weekend was ended before the match had officially finished following a pitch invasion.
The Edinburgh club said it had written a letter to Scotland's soccer authorities regarding what it describes as "the circumstances surrounding the premature ending of the match."
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Callum Osmand's goal in the eighth and last minute of stoppage time sealed a title-clinching 3-1 win for Celtic on Saturday and sparked wild celebrations among their fans, with hundreds running onto the pitch and getting close to Hearts' dejected players.
The game appeared to be brought to an end before playing the full amount of stoppage time. The Scottish Professional Football League has since clarified that it has been informed by the referee that "the match had ended and had not been abandoned."
In a Hearts statement, the club said its letter expressed "our concern that a troubling precedent has been set whereby a pitch invasion can effectively determine the duration of a football match, rather than the match officials."
"We have asked them for a prompt response to the points we have raised," Hearts said.
Celtic were crowned champions for the fifth straight year and 14th time in 15 seasons, while Hearts -- the long-time leader -- were denied a first Scottish league title since 1960.
Hearts have implored the authorities to deal with the pitch invasion "with the seriousness it demands" and criticised Celtic manager Martin O'Neill for his comments about the incident.
O'Neill appeared to downplay the seriousness of the situation in an interview on talkSPORT on Monday when he said "I think it's nonsense" in response to Hearts' statement that the pitch invasion had embarrassed Scottish football.
The 74-year-old also said there was "a lot of hyperbole" about the way the situation had been portrayed and refused to condemn those who entered the field.
"We are aware of highly irresponsible comments made publicly this week, which appear to seek to defend those who entered the pitch on Saturday and undermine the gravity of the situation," Hearts said in their statement.
"Those remarks carry dangerous implications, and we call upon the football authorities to ensure that this matter is addressed with the seriousness it demands, and with the full cooperation of all involved."
The Associated Press and PA contributed to this report.