The Jambos Extend 8 Points Clear Ahead at the Summit Following Lawrence Shankland's Spot-Kick Sees Off The Glasgow Giants
A historic moment didn't occur at Tynecastle, with it being far too early for such milestones. The encounter underlined is that Hearts possess a real credible shot of breaking Scottish football's four decade-long dominance by two. Make that an eight-point lead for the team over their rivals, whom they comfortably swatted aside. Try to chase them down.
Turning Point in the Second Half
A brief but pivotal phase were key, once the initial exchanges that was evenly matched. The striking aspect after Hearts surged 3-1 in front was how stress-free the rest of the game was for the home side. Alexandros Kyziridis doubled the lead, drifting inside before firing a powerful effort past the stationary Kasper Schmeichel. Soon there was further euphoria in the stands, Murray bringing down the Hearts player for a penalty that Lawrence Shankland converted. Brendan Rodgers appeared frustrated; he hardly has his troubles to seek.
Supporters began celebrating after Alexandros Kyziridis (second right) scores to make it 2-1 against the opposition.
Celtic's Response
Celtic bounced back from the hosts' quick opening. Dane Murray, who had a difficult day, scored an own goal due to haste when trying to remove a ball into the box. They gradually fought back into the game, the captain McGregor, finishing a Kieran Tierney pull-back for level terms.
Stubborn Defence
The shot-stopper Alexander Schwolow, who had made a brilliant stop from Benjamin Nygren in the first half, parried an Arne Engels shot which flicked off Magnússon. Halkett thwarted a Shin Yamada attempt in stoppage time. They comfortably saw out the game as the game concluded. “We remain resolute” has become the favoured chant at Tynecastle. It's hard to ignore the excitement.
- Complete analysis coming soon.
