The Jambos Extend 8 Points Clear Ahead at the Summit After Shankland's Spot-Kick Sees Off Celtic
A historic moment didn't occur at Tynecastle Park, as it's far too early for such milestones. What this match did emphasise is that Hearts have a genuine serious opportunity of disrupting Scottish football's four decade-long stranglehold. Make that an eight-point lead for the team over their rivals, whom they easily dispatched. Catch them if you can.
Decisive Period in the Second Half
A brief but pivotal phase made the difference, once the initial exchanges that was evenly matched. The striking aspect after they took a 3-1 lead was how comfortable the remainder of the game was for the hosts. Alexandros Kyziridis scored Hearts’ second, moving infield before firing a powerful effort past the motionless Kasper Schmeichel. Delight increased in the stands, the Celtic defender bringing down Braga for a spot-kick that Shankland converted. Rodgers appeared frustrated; his problems are mounting.
The crowd erupted after Kyziridis (second right) scores to make it 2-1 against the opposition.
Hoops' Reaction
Celtic had actually recovered well from Hearts’ rapid start. Dane Murray, who struggled throughout, scored an own goal due to panic when trying to deal with a Shankland cross. The Hoops worked their way into the game, skipper Callum McGregor, turning home a Kieran Tierney cutback for the equaliser.
Hearts' Defensive Resilience
The Hearts goalkeeper Alexander Schwolow, who had denied from Benjamin Nygren in the first half, blocked an Engels shot which touched Tómas Magnússon. 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 noise.
- Full report to follow.
