Hearts Extend Eight Points Ahead Ahead at the Summit After Lawrence Shankland's Spot-Kick Defeats Celtic
We did not witness at their home ground, as it's far too early for such landmarks. The encounter underlined is that the Edinburgh club possess a real credible shot of breaking Scottish football's 40-year dominance by two. They now lead by eight points for Hearts over Celtic, whom they decisively beat. Catch them if you can.
Decisive Period in the Second Half
A brief but pivotal phase proved decisive, after an opening period that was contested closely. The striking aspect after Hearts surged 3-1 in front was how untroubled the rest of the game was for the Tynecastle team. Kyziridis scored Hearts’ second, drifting inside before blasting a strike past the stationary Kasper Schmeichel. Delight increased in the stands, Dane Murray bringing down Braga for a spot-kick that the captain slotted home. Brendan Rodgers appeared frustrated; his problems are mounting.
Fans start to rejoice after Alexandros Kyziridis (second right) scores to make it 2-1 against the opposition.
Celtic's Response
Celtic bounced back from Hearts’ rapid start. Murray, who struggled throughout, scored an own goal due to panic when trying to deal with a ball into the box. Celtic edged their way back into the game, skipper Callum McGregor, turning home a Tierney pull-back for level terms.
Stubborn Defence
The Hearts goalkeeper Alexander Schwolow, who had made a brilliant stop from Nygren in the first half, blocked an Engels shot which flicked off Magnússon. Craig Halkett thwarted a Shin Yamada attempt in stoppage time. Hearts were otherwise untroubled as the minutes passed. “We stand firm” has become the favoured chant at the ground. It's hard to ignore the noise.
- Detailed coverage coming soon.
