Hearts coach Craig Levein invited the media to screen the club’s own footage of the game which he believed shows Hartson elbowing the Jambos defender in the face.

But O’Neill retaliated by holding a press viewing himself where he insisted freeze-framed images prove Hartson’s innocence.

O’Neill’s theory is that Hartson was guilty of barging into Webster, the offence which saw the Celtic player booked by referee Kenny Clark, and the action led to Webster striking himself in the face.

Now the Celtic manager is hoping clearing Hartson’s name will help next month’s Scottish Cup tie between the two sides pass without incident.

O’Neill said: “I thought the game on Sunday was very strong and very physical - just like the games we had played before, so it was the way we expected it.

“I still think there will be the same passion and intensity to the cup tie - if John had been left with people still thinking he had elbowed him then of course it would have added fuel to the fire, I wouldn’t dismiss that for a moment.

“Maybe if the analysis has shown that John is not guilty then it might defuse it.”

Hartson’s yellow card means he would not have faced a retrospective ban from the Scottish Football Association had he been guilty of elbowing.

But O’Neill insists the Welshman would have been subject to punishment at the hands of Celtic had he committed an offence.

O’Neill added: “The point that was asked was, if it had been a deliberate elbow, what action would have been taken.

“I don’t think the SFA could have changed anything because action had been taken at that time, but of course we’ve got our own procedures in house and I’m sure John would have found himself at the end of those.

“I wanted to see it for myself because on the day of the game no-one had seen it because the BBC hadn’t caught it themselves.

“He’s barged in, it was aggressive behaviour and he was rightly booked for it.”

Meanwhile, new Celtic midfielder Stephen Pearson admits he has an extra incentive for forcing his way into the first team at Parkhead.

The youngster has just started to make the breakthrough into the Scotland squad but he insists Berti Vogts would be right to drop him from his plans if he fails to make the grade at Celtic.

Pearson said: “The manager has stated that you have to be playing regular football before he’ll consider you for the team.

“I believe you have to be playing because if you’re not playing regularly then you won’t be good enough, fit enough and sharp enough to play for your country.

“So my first goal is to get into the Celtic first team and take it from there.”