Hearts Move 8 Points Ahead at the Summit After Shankland's Penalty Kick Sees Off Celtic
History wasn't made at Tynecastle, as it's far too early for such achievements. What this match did emphasise is that Heart of Midlothian possess a real credible shot of disrupting Scottish football's 40-year dominance by two. That advantage stands at eight points for the team over Celtic, whom they easily dispatched. Try to chase them down.
Decisive Period in the Latter Period
Three second-half minutes made the difference, once the initial exchanges that was evenly matched. The striking aspect after they extended their advantage was how comfortable the rest of the game was for the hosts. Alexandros Kyziridis doubled the lead, drifting inside before thumping a right-footed shot past the static the goalkeeper. Delight increased in the stands, Dane Murray fouling Braga for a penalty that Shankland converted. The Celtic manager looked dejected; he hardly has his troubles to seek.
The crowd erupted after Alexandros Kyziridis (second right) puts Hearts 2-1 up against Celtic.
Hoops' Reaction
Celtic bounced back from the hosts' quick opening. The defender, who struggled throughout, 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, leader Callum McGregor, turning home a Kieran Tierney pass for the equaliser.
Hearts' Defensive Resilience
The keeper Alexander Schwolow, who had made a brilliant stop from Benjamin Nygren in the first half, parried an Engels shot which flicked off Tómas Magnússon. Craig Halkett blocked a Yamada attempt in added time. They comfortably saw out the game as the game concluded. “We stand firm” has become the favoured chant at the stadium. It's hard to ignore the noise.
- Full report will be available.
