The Jambos Move 8 Points Clear in Front at the Summit Following Lawrence Shankland's Penalty Kick Sees Off Celtic
We did not witness at Tynecastle Park, with it being far too early for such landmarks. What this match did emphasise is that the Edinburgh club possess a real strong chance of disrupting Scottish football's four decade-long dominance by two. That advantage stands at eight points for Hearts over the visitors, whom they easily dispatched. Catch them if you can.
Turning Point in the Second Half
A brief but pivotal phase proved decisive, after an opening period that was evenly matched. The striking aspect after they took a 3-1 lead was how stress-free the remainder of the game was for the hosts. Alexandros Kyziridis scored Hearts’ second, drifting inside before firing a powerful effort past the static the goalkeeper. More joy followed in the stands, the Celtic defender bringing down the Hearts player for a foul that Lawrence Shankland converted. Brendan Rodgers looked dejected; his problems are mounting.
Fans start to rejoice after Kyziridis (second right) puts Hearts 2-1 up against Celtic.
Celtic's Response
Celtic had actually recovered well from Hearts’ rapid start. Murray, who endured a torrid afternoon, scored an own goal due to confusion when trying to clear a delivery from Shankland. Celtic edged their way back into the game, skipper McGregor, finishing a Tierney cutback for the equaliser.
Hearts' Defensive Resilience
The shot-stopper Schwolow, who had saved superbly from Benjamin Nygren in the first half, blocked an Engels shot which deflected off Tómas Magnússon. Halkett thwarted a Yamada attempt in stoppage time. Hearts were otherwise untroubled as the clock ticked down. “We remain resolute” has become the Tynecastle verse of choice at Tynecastle. It is becoming increasingly difficult the buzz.
- Full report to follow.
