Hearts Push Eight Points Ahead Ahead at the Pinnacle After Shankland's Spot-Kick Sees Off Celtic
History wasn't made at Tynecastle Park, with it being far too early for such milestones. The encounter underlined is that Hearts are at least in with credible shot of disrupting Scottish football's long-standing title duopoly. That advantage stands at eight points for the team over the visitors, whom they easily dispatched. Catch them if you can.
Turning Point in the Latter Period
Three second-half minutes were key, after an opening period that was fiercely fought. The striking aspect after they took a 3-1 lead was how stress-free the rest of the game was for the hosts. The Greek winger scored Hearts’ second, cutting in from the left before firing a powerful effort past the stationary the goalkeeper. Delight increased in the stands, Murray bringing down Braga for a spot-kick that the captain converted. The Celtic manager appeared frustrated; he hardly has his troubles to seek.
The crowd erupted 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 struggled throughout, turned the ball into his own net due to haste when trying to clear a delivery from Shankland. The Hoops worked their way into the game, the captain Callum McGregor, scoring a Kieran Tierney pull-back for level terms.
Hearts' Defensive Resilience
The keeper Schwolow, who had denied from Benjamin Nygren in the first half, parried an Engels shot which deflected off Tómas Magnússon. Craig Halkett stopped a Yamada attempt in stoppage time. Hearts were otherwise untroubled as the clock ticked down. “We remain resolute” has become the favoured chant at Tynecastle. It is becoming increasingly difficult the noise.
- Full report to follow.
