The Jambos Push Eight Points Ahead Clear at Top Following Lawrence Shankland's Spot-Kick Sees Off Celtic
We did not witness at their home ground, as it's far too early for such achievements. The encounter underlined is that the Edinburgh club have a genuine credible shot of disrupting Scottish football's four decade-long dominance by two. Make that an eight-point lead for Hearts over Celtic, whom they comfortably swatted aside. The challenge is now for others.
Key Moments in the Second Half
A brief but pivotal phase proved decisive, 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 Tynecastle team. Alexandros Kyziridis doubled the lead, cutting in from the left before blasting a strike past the stationary Kasper Schmeichel. More joy followed in the stands, Murray upending Braga for a foul that Shankland tucked away. 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.
Celtic's Response
Celtic had actually recovered well from an early setback. The defender, who struggled throughout, turned the ball into his own net due to panic when trying to deal with a ball into the box. They gradually fought back into the game, the captain Callum McGregor, scoring a Tierney cutback for the equaliser.
Solid Backline
The shot-stopper Schwolow, who had denied from Benjamin Nygren in the first half, kept out an Arne Engels shot which flicked off Magnússon. Craig Halkett stopped a Yamada attempt in the dying moments. The hosts faced little else as the minutes passed. “We shall not be moved” has become the popular anthem at the stadium. It's hard to ignore the noise.
- Full report will be available.
