The Jambos Push 8 Points in Front at the Summit Following Lawrence Shankland's Spot-Kick Defeats The Glasgow Giants
History wasn't made at Tynecastle, with it being far too early for such milestones. The encounter underlined is that Hearts have a genuine credible shot of ending Scottish football's 40-year dominance by two. Make that an eight-point lead for Hearts over the visitors, whom they easily dispatched. Catch them if you can.
Decisive Period in the Second Half
A crucial three-minute spell were key, following a tight first half that was contested closely. What was so notable after Hearts surged 3-1 in front was how untroubled the remainder of the game was for the Tynecastle team. Kyziridis scored Hearts’ second, moving infield before blasting a strike past the motionless the Celtic keeper. Delight increased in the stands, Dane Murray fouling Cláudio Braga for a spot-kick that Shankland tucked away. Rodgers cut such a disconsolate figure; his problems are mounting.
The crowd erupted after Alexandros Kyziridis (second right) puts Hearts 2-1 up against Celtic.
The Visitors' Fightback
The away side responded positively from Hearts’ rapid start. The defender, who endured a torrid afternoon, scored an own goal due to haste when trying to deal with a ball into the box. Celtic edged their way back into the game, skipper McGregor, turning home a Tierney cutback for the equaliser.
Hearts' Defensive Resilience
The Hearts goalkeeper Alexander Schwolow, who had made a brilliant stop from Benjamin Nygren in the first half, kept out an Arne Engels shot which flicked off Tómas Magnússon. Craig Halkett thwarted a Yamada attempt in stoppage time. The hosts faced little else as the game concluded. “We stand firm” has become the popular anthem at the ground. It's hard to ignore the buzz.
- Complete analysis to follow.
