Hearts Push Eight Points in Front at the Summit After Shankland's Penalty Kick Overcomes Celtic
We did not witness at Tynecastle Park, with it being far too early for such milestones. What this match did emphasise is that the Edinburgh club are at least in with strong chance of disrupting Scottish football's long-standing stranglehold. Make that an eight-point lead for the maroon side over Celtic, whom they comfortably swatted aside. Catch them if you can.
Decisive Period in the Latter Period
A brief but pivotal phase proved decisive, once the initial exchanges that was contested closely. It was remarkable after Hearts surged 3-1 in front was how stress-free the remainder of the game was for the hosts. The Greek winger scored Hearts’ second, cutting in from the left before blasting a strike past the static the goalkeeper. Soon there was further euphoria in the stands, the Celtic defender bringing down Braga for a penalty that Shankland converted. The Celtic manager cut such a disconsolate figure; his problems are mounting.
Supporters began celebrating after Alexandros Kyziridis (second right) scores to make it 2-1 against Celtic.
The Visitors' Fightback
Celtic had actually recovered well from an early setback. Murray, who endured a torrid afternoon, scored an own goal due to haste when trying to remove a ball into the box. The Hoops worked their way into the game, the captain Callum McGregor, scoring a Tierney cutback for 1-1.
Solid Backline
The keeper Alexander Schwolow, who had denied from Nygren in the first half, blocked an Engels shot which touched Magnússon. Halkett stopped a Yamada attempt in stoppage time. Hearts were otherwise untroubled as the minutes passed. “We stand firm” has become the favoured chant at the ground. It's hard to ignore the noise.
- Detailed coverage coming soon.
