The Tynecastle side Push Eight Points Clear Clear at the Pinnacle Following Lawrence Shankland's Penalty Defeats Celtic
History wasn't made at Tynecastle, with it being far too early for such achievements. What this match did emphasise is that Heart of Midlothian have a genuine credible shot of ending Scottish football's four decade-long dominance by two. Make that an eight-point lead for Hearts over Celtic, whom they comfortably swatted aside. Try to chase them down.
Turning Point in the After the Break
Three second-half minutes proved decisive, after an opening period that was evenly matched. The striking aspect after they took a 3-1 lead was how untroubled the rest of the game was for the Tynecastle team. Kyziridis netted the second goal, moving infield before firing a powerful effort past the motionless the goalkeeper. Delight increased in the stands, Murray fouling the Hearts player for a spot-kick that the captain slotted home. The Celtic manager cut such a disconsolate figure; his problems are mounting.
Fans start to rejoice after Kyziridis (second right) scores to make it 2-1 against the opposition.
The Visitors' Fightback
The away side responded positively from Hearts’ rapid start. Murray, who had a difficult day, scored an own goal due to haste when trying to remove a delivery from Shankland. They gradually fought back into the game, skipper McGregor, turning home a Tierney pull-back for 1-1.
Stubborn Defence
The keeper Schwolow, who had made a brilliant stop from Nygren in the first half, parried an Engels shot which touched Tómas Magnússon. Halkett thwarted a Shin Yamada attempt in added time. 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.
- Complete analysis to follow.
