The Tynecastle side Move Eight Points Clear at the Pinnacle Following Lawrence Shankland's Spot-Kick Overcomes The Glasgow Giants
A historic moment didn't occur at Tynecastle Park, as it's far too early for such achievements. This game highlighted is that Heart of Midlothian are at least in with credible shot of disrupting Scottish football's long-standing dominance by two. Make that an eight-point lead for Hearts over Celtic, whom they comfortably swatted aside. Catch them if you can.
Turning Point in the After the Break
A brief but pivotal phase made the difference, after an opening period that was fiercely fought. It was remarkable after they extended their advantage was how comfortable the remainder of the game was for the home side. The Greek winger netted the second goal, drifting inside before blasting a strike past the static the Celtic keeper. More joy followed in the stands, Murray fouling the Hearts player for a penalty that Shankland converted. Brendan Rodgers appeared frustrated; challenges abound for him.
Supporters began celebrating after Alexandros Kyziridis (second right) puts Hearts 2-1 up against the opposition.
Hoops' Reaction
Celtic had actually recovered well from Hearts’ rapid start. Dane Murray, who had a difficult day, turned the ball into his own net due to haste when trying to deal with a delivery from Shankland. They gradually fought back into the game, leader McGregor, scoring a Kieran Tierney pull-back for 1-1.
Hearts' Defensive Resilience
The Hearts goalkeeper Alexander Schwolow, who had saved superbly from Benjamin Nygren in the first half, kept out an Engels shot which deflected off Magnússon. Halkett blocked a Yamada attempt in stoppage time. They comfortably saw out the game as the minutes passed. “We stand firm” has become the favoured chant at the ground. One cannot overlook the excitement.
- Full report coming soon.
