Hearts Extend Eight Points Ahead at the Pinnacle Following Shankland's Penalty Sees Off Celtic
A historic moment didn't occur at Tynecastle, with it being far too early for such milestones. The encounter underlined is that Heart of Midlothian have a genuine credible shot of disrupting Scottish football's long-standing stranglehold. That advantage stands at eight points for the team over Celtic, whom they comfortably swatted aside. Try to chase them down.
Turning Point in the After the Break
Three second-half minutes were key, after an opening period that was contested closely. It was remarkable after they extended their advantage was how stress-free the remainder of the game was for the home side. The Greek winger doubled the lead, drifting inside before blasting a strike past the stationary Kasper Schmeichel. Soon there was further euphoria in the stands, the Celtic defender bringing down Cláudio Braga for a foul that the captain slotted home. Brendan Rodgers looked dejected; his problems are mounting.
The crowd erupted after Kyziridis (second right) scores to make it 2-1 against Celtic.
Hoops' Reaction
Celtic bounced back from the hosts' quick opening. Dane Murray, who had a difficult day, conceded an own goal due to panic when trying to deal with a ball into the box. They gradually fought back into the game, leader McGregor, scoring a Kieran Tierney cutback for the equaliser.
Stubborn Defence
The Hearts goalkeeper Alexander Schwolow, who had denied from Nygren in the first half, kept out an Arne Engels shot which deflected off Magnússon. Halkett thwarted a Yamada attempt in the dying moments. Hearts were otherwise untroubled as the clock ticked down. “We remain resolute” has become the popular anthem at the ground. It's hard to ignore the excitement.
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