Hearts Extend 8 Points Clear Ahead at Top Following Shankland's Penalty Sees Off Celtic
History wasn't made at Tynecastle Park, since it's far too early for such landmarks. The encounter underlined is that Hearts have a genuine credible shot of breaking Scottish football's long-standing title duopoly. That advantage stands at eight points for Hearts over Celtic, whom they comfortably swatted aside. Try to chase them down.
Key Moments in the Second Half
Three second-half minutes were key, after an opening period that was contested closely. The striking aspect after they took a 3-1 lead was how comfortable the remainder of the game was for the Tynecastle team. Kyziridis doubled the lead, cutting in from the left before blasting a strike past the motionless the goalkeeper. Delight increased in the stands, the Celtic defender bringing down the Hearts player for a penalty that Shankland slotted home. Brendan Rodgers cut such a disconsolate figure; he hardly has his troubles to seek.
The crowd erupted after Alexandros Kyziridis (second right) gives Hearts the lead against the opposition.
Hoops' Reaction
The away side responded positively from an early setback. The defender, who struggled throughout, scored an own goal due to confusion when trying to clear a delivery from Shankland. They gradually fought back into the game, skipper McGregor, scoring a Kieran Tierney cutback for level terms.
Hearts' Defensive Resilience
The shot-stopper Schwolow, who had made a brilliant stop from Benjamin Nygren in the first half, parried an Engels shot which flicked off Magnússon. Craig Halkett blocked a Yamada attempt in the dying moments. They comfortably saw out the game as the game concluded. “We stand firm” has become the favoured chant at the ground. It's hard to ignore the excitement.
- Complete analysis coming soon.
