The Jambos Extend 8 Points Clear in Front at the Pinnacle Following Lawrence Shankland's Penalty Kick Overcomes The Glasgow Giants
We did not witness at Tynecastle Park, since it's far too early for such landmarks. What this match did emphasise is that Heart of Midlothian have a genuine serious opportunity of breaking Scottish football's four decade-long dominance by two. That advantage stands at eight points for Hearts over the visitors, whom they easily dispatched. Try to chase them down.
Key Moments in the Second Half
Three second-half minutes made the difference, once the initial exchanges that was evenly matched. What was so notable after they took a 3-1 lead was how untroubled the remainder of the game was for the home side. The Greek winger scored Hearts’ second, cutting in from the left before thumping a right-footed shot past the motionless Kasper Schmeichel. Soon there was further euphoria in the stands, Murray bringing down the Hearts player for a foul that Lawrence Shankland converted. Rodgers cut such a disconsolate figure; his problems are mounting.
Fans start to rejoice after Alexandros Kyziridis (second right) gives Hearts the lead against the opposition.
Hoops' Reaction
The away side responded positively from an early setback. Dane Murray, who endured a torrid afternoon, turned the ball into his own net due to panic when trying to remove a delivery from Shankland. Celtic edged their way back into the game, skipper Callum McGregor, turning home a Tierney cutback for level terms.
Hearts' Defensive Resilience
The Hearts goalkeeper Alexander Schwolow, who had made a brilliant stop from Benjamin Nygren in the first half, blocked an Engels shot which flicked off Tómas Magnússon. Halkett stopped a Shin Yamada attempt in stoppage time. They comfortably saw out the game as the clock ticked down. “We remain resolute” has become the Tynecastle verse of choice at the ground. It's hard to ignore the buzz.
- Complete analysis to follow.
