The Tynecastle side Move 8 Points Ahead Clear at the Summit After Shankland's Penalty Sees Off The Hoops
History wasn't made at Tynecastle Park, since it's far too early for such landmarks. The encounter underlined is that Hearts possess a real strong chance of disrupting Scottish football's four decade-long dominance by two. Make that an eight-point lead for the team over their rivals, whom they easily dispatched. Catch them if you can.
Turning Point in the Second Half
A brief but pivotal phase were key, after an opening period that was contested closely. The striking aspect after they took a 3-1 lead was how stress-free the rest of the game was for the Tynecastle team. Alexandros Kyziridis scored Hearts’ second, cutting in from the left before blasting a strike past the motionless the Celtic keeper. Soon there was further euphoria in the stands, the Celtic defender bringing down Cláudio Braga for a penalty that the captain slotted home. The Celtic manager cut such a disconsolate figure; challenges abound for him.
Supporters began celebrating after Alexandros Kyziridis (second right) scores to make it 2-1 against Celtic.
Hoops' Reaction
Celtic had actually recovered well from Hearts’ rapid start. Murray, who endured a torrid afternoon, conceded an own goal due to panic when trying to remove a ball into the box. The Hoops worked their way into the game, the captain Callum McGregor, turning home a Kieran Tierney cutback for 1-1.
Stubborn Defence
The keeper Alexander Schwolow, who had denied from Nygren in the first half, kept out an Engels shot which deflected off Tómas Magnússon. Craig Halkett thwarted a Yamada attempt in stoppage time. Hearts were otherwise untroubled as the minutes passed. “We stand firm” has become the popular anthem at Tynecastle. It is becoming increasingly difficult the noise.
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