Hearts Move Eight Points Ahead Ahead at the Pinnacle After Shankland's Penalty Kick Sees Off Celtic
A historic moment didn't occur at their home ground, since it's far too early for such landmarks. What this match did emphasise is that Hearts possess a real serious opportunity of ending Scottish football's four decade-long title duopoly. Make that an eight-point lead for Hearts over Celtic, whom they comfortably swatted aside. Catch them if you can.
Decisive Period in the Second Half
A brief but pivotal phase made the difference, after an opening period that was contested closely. The striking aspect after they took a 3-1 lead was how comfortable the closing stages 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 static the Celtic keeper. Soon there was further euphoria in the stands, the Celtic defender bringing down the Hearts player for a foul that Lawrence Shankland tucked away. Rodgers looked dejected; his problems are mounting.
Fans start to rejoice after Kyziridis (second right) gives Hearts the lead against Celtic.
The Visitors' Fightback
Celtic had actually recovered well from an early setback. Dane Murray, who endured a torrid afternoon, conceded an own goal due to confusion when trying to deal with a delivery from Shankland. The Hoops worked their way into the game, the captain McGregor, turning home a Kieran Tierney pull-back for the equaliser.
Hearts' Defensive Resilience
The Hearts goalkeeper Alexander Schwolow, who had made a brilliant stop from Benjamin Nygren in the first half, parried an Arne Engels shot which touched Tómas Magnússon. Halkett thwarted a Shin Yamada attempt in stoppage time. The hosts faced little else as the game concluded. “We stand firm” has become the Tynecastle verse of choice at the ground. It's hard to ignore the excitement.
- Full report will be available.