The Jambos Move 8 Points in Front at the Pinnacle After Shankland's Spot-Kick Overcomes The Hoops
History wasn't made at Tynecastle, since it's far too early for such landmarks. This game highlighted is that Hearts have a genuine strong chance of ending Scottish football's long-standing title duopoly. They now lead by eight points for Hearts over their rivals, whom they easily dispatched. The challenge is now for others.
Decisive Period in the After the Break
A brief but pivotal phase were key, after an opening period that was fiercely fought. The striking aspect after they extended their advantage was how comfortable the closing stages of the game was for the hosts. Kyziridis doubled the lead, drifting inside before thumping a right-footed shot past the stationary the goalkeeper. Soon there was further euphoria in the stands, Murray fouling Cláudio Braga for a foul that Lawrence Shankland slotted home. The Celtic manager cut such a disconsolate figure; his problems are mounting.
Fans start to rejoice after Alexandros Kyziridis (second right) scores to make it 2-1 against Celtic.
The Visitors' Fightback
Celtic bounced back from an early setback. Dane Murray, who struggled throughout, turned the ball into his own net due to haste when trying to remove a delivery from Shankland. The Hoops worked their way into the game, skipper Callum McGregor, finishing a Kieran Tierney pull-back for level terms.
Hearts' Defensive Resilience
The Hearts goalkeeper Alexander Schwolow, who had denied from Benjamin Nygren in the first half, kept out an Arne Engels shot which flicked off Tómas Magnússon. Halkett thwarted a Shin Yamada attempt in stoppage time. Hearts were otherwise untroubled as the minutes passed. “We stand firm” has become the Tynecastle verse of choice at the stadium. It's hard to ignore the buzz.
- Detailed coverage to follow.
