Hearts Extend 8 Points Clear in Front at the Summit Following Shankland's Penalty Kick Overcomes Celtic
We did not witness at Tynecastle Park, as it's far too early for such achievements. The encounter underlined is that Heart of Midlothian are at least in with credible shot of breaking Scottish football's long-standing stranglehold. Make that an eight-point lead for the maroon side over the visitors, whom they easily dispatched. Try to chase them down.
Decisive Period in the Second Half
A brief but pivotal phase proved decisive, after an opening period that was contested closely. It was remarkable after they took a 3-1 lead was how stress-free the remainder of the game was for the home side. Kyziridis scored Hearts’ second, drifting inside before firing a powerful effort past the static Kasper Schmeichel. Delight increased in the stands, the Celtic defender bringing down the Hearts player for a spot-kick that Shankland slotted home. Brendan Rodgers cut such a disconsolate figure; he hardly has his troubles to seek.
Fans start to rejoice after Alexandros Kyziridis (second right) puts Hearts 2-1 up against Celtic.
Celtic's Response
Celtic had actually recovered well from the hosts' quick opening. Murray, who had a difficult day, scored an own goal due to panic when trying to deal with a delivery from Shankland. The Hoops worked their way into the game, skipper Callum McGregor, scoring a Kieran Tierney pass for level terms.
Hearts' Defensive Resilience
The shot-stopper Schwolow, who had made a brilliant stop from Benjamin Nygren in the first half, kept out an Arne Engels shot which flicked off Tómas Magnússon. Craig Halkett stopped a Shin Yamada attempt in added time. They comfortably saw out the game as the clock ticked down. “We remain resolute” has become the favoured chant at Tynecastle. It's hard to ignore the excitement.
- Detailed coverage coming soon.
