The Tynecastle side Extend 8 Points Ahead Clear at the Pinnacle After Lawrence Shankland's Penalty Kick Overcomes The Hoops
We did not witness at Tynecastle Park, with it being far too early for such achievements. The encounter underlined is that the Edinburgh club possess a real strong chance of breaking Scottish football's four decade-long title duopoly. They now lead by eight points for the team over Celtic, whom they comfortably swatted aside. The challenge is now for others.
Turning Point in the Latter Period
A crucial three-minute spell proved decisive, once the initial exchanges that was evenly matched. It was remarkable after they extended their advantage was how comfortable the rest of the game was for the hosts. The Greek winger scored Hearts’ second, drifting inside before blasting a strike past the motionless Kasper Schmeichel. Delight increased in the stands, Dane Murray bringing down Braga for a foul that Lawrence Shankland slotted home. Brendan Rodgers looked dejected; his problems are mounting.
Supporters began celebrating after Kyziridis (second right) gives Hearts the lead against Celtic.
The Visitors' Fightback
Celtic had actually recovered well from Hearts’ rapid start. Dane Murray, who had a difficult day, turned the ball into his own net due to confusion when trying to remove a Shankland cross. The Hoops worked their way into the game, the captain Callum McGregor, scoring a Kieran Tierney cutback for the equaliser.
Stubborn Defence
The Hearts goalkeeper Alexander Schwolow, who had denied from Nygren in the first half, kept out an Engels shot which deflected off Magnússon. Halkett stopped a Yamada attempt in added time. Hearts were otherwise untroubled as the minutes passed. “We stand firm” has become the popular anthem at the ground. It's hard to ignore the excitement.
- Full report will be available.
