Hearts Push 8 Points Clear Clear at the Pinnacle After Lawrence Shankland's Penalty Defeats The Glasgow Giants
A historic moment didn't occur at Tynecastle Park, with it being far too early for such landmarks. This game highlighted is that the Edinburgh club possess a real strong chance of ending Scottish football's long-standing dominance by two. Make that an eight-point lead for Hearts over their rivals, whom they easily dispatched. Catch them if you can.
Turning Point in the Second Half
A brief but pivotal phase made the difference, once the initial exchanges that was contested closely. It was remarkable after they took a 3-1 lead was how stress-free the remainder of the game was for the home side. The Greek winger netted the second goal, cutting in from the left before firing a powerful effort past the static the goalkeeper. Delight increased in the stands, Dane Murray fouling Braga for a spot-kick that Shankland slotted home. Rodgers cut such a disconsolate figure; his problems are mounting.
The crowd erupted after Kyziridis (second right) puts Hearts 2-1 up against Celtic.
Celtic's Response
The away side responded positively from the hosts' quick opening. Dane Murray, who had a difficult day, turned the ball into his own net due to confusion when trying to remove a delivery from Shankland. They gradually fought back into the game, leader McGregor, scoring a Kieran Tierney cutback for level terms.
Hearts' Defensive Resilience
The keeper Alexander Schwolow, who had saved superbly from Benjamin Nygren in the first half, parried an Engels shot which touched Magnússon. Halkett stopped a Yamada attempt in added time. The hosts faced little else as the minutes passed. “We stand firm” has become the Tynecastle verse of choice at the stadium. It's hard to ignore the noise.
- Detailed coverage to follow.