The Tynecastle side Move Eight Points Clear Ahead at the Summit Following Lawrence Shankland's Penalty Sees Off The Hoops
A historic moment didn't occur at Tynecastle Park, since it's far too early for such milestones. The encounter underlined is that Heart of Midlothian possess a real credible shot of breaking Scottish football's long-standing dominance by two. They now lead by eight points for the team over Celtic, whom they easily dispatched. Try to chase them down.
Turning Point in the After the Break
A brief but pivotal phase were key, following a tight first half that was evenly matched. What was so notable after Hearts surged 3-1 in front was how stress-free the rest of the game was for the Tynecastle team. Alexandros Kyziridis doubled the lead, cutting in from the left before firing a powerful effort past the stationary the Celtic keeper. Soon there was further euphoria in the stands, the Celtic defender bringing down Cláudio Braga for a penalty that Shankland converted. The Celtic manager looked dejected; he hardly has his troubles to seek.
Fans start to rejoice after Alexandros Kyziridis (second right) gives Hearts the lead against the opposition.
Hoops' Reaction
Celtic had actually recovered well from the hosts' quick opening. Dane Murray, who had a difficult day, scored an own goal due to confusion when trying to deal with a delivery from Shankland. Celtic edged their way back into the game, skipper Callum McGregor, finishing a Kieran Tierney cutback for level terms.
Hearts' Defensive Resilience
The keeper Schwolow, who had saved superbly from Benjamin Nygren in the first half, blocked an Engels shot which flicked off Tómas Magnússon. Craig Halkett blocked a Shin Yamada attempt in added time. The hosts faced little else as the minutes passed. “We remain resolute” has become the favoured chant at the ground. One cannot overlook the excitement.
- Full report to follow.
