The Tynecastle side Push Eight Points Clear Clear at Top Following Lawrence Shankland's Penalty Kick Overcomes Celtic
History wasn't made at Tynecastle, since it's far too early for such milestones. The encounter underlined is that Hearts possess a real strong chance of breaking Scottish football's long-standing title duopoly. That advantage stands at eight points for the maroon side over the visitors, whom they easily dispatched. Try to chase them down.
Decisive Period in the Second Half
Three second-half minutes made the difference, once the initial exchanges that was fiercely fought. It was remarkable after they extended their advantage was how stress-free the rest of the game was for the home side. The Greek winger doubled the lead, moving infield before blasting a strike past the static the goalkeeper. More joy followed in the stands, Murray upending Cláudio Braga for a spot-kick that Lawrence Shankland converted. Rodgers cut such a disconsolate figure; he hardly has his troubles to seek.
Fans start to rejoice after Alexandros Kyziridis (second right) gives Hearts the lead against the opposition.
The Visitors' Fightback
Celtic had actually recovered well from an early setback. Dane Murray, who had a difficult day, turned the ball into his own net due to confusion when trying to remove a Shankland cross. Celtic edged their way back into the game, leader Callum McGregor, scoring a Tierney pull-back for the equaliser.
Hearts' Defensive Resilience
The shot-stopper Schwolow, who had made a brilliant stop from Benjamin Nygren in the first half, parried an Engels shot which deflected off Magnússon. Halkett blocked a Yamada attempt in added time. They comfortably saw out the game as the clock ticked down. “We shall not be moved” has become the popular anthem at Tynecastle. It's hard to ignore the buzz.
- Detailed coverage coming soon.