Hearts Move 8 Points Clear Ahead at the Pinnacle Following Shankland's Spot-Kick Overcomes The Hoops
We did not witness at Tynecastle, since it's far too early for such landmarks. This game highlighted is that Hearts possess a real strong chance of disrupting Scottish football's 40-year dominance by two. Make that an eight-point lead for Hearts over their rivals, whom they decisively beat. The challenge is now for others.
Decisive Period in the After the Break
Three second-half minutes made the difference, once the initial exchanges that was evenly matched. The striking aspect after Hearts surged 3-1 in front was how stress-free the closing stages of the game was for the home side. Kyziridis scored Hearts’ second, cutting in from the left before blasting a strike past the motionless the Celtic keeper. Soon there was further euphoria in the stands, the Celtic defender upending Cláudio Braga for a foul that Shankland tucked away. The Celtic manager looked dejected; challenges abound for him.
Fans start to rejoice after Kyziridis (second right) scores to make it 2-1 against Celtic.
The Visitors' Fightback
Celtic bounced back from the hosts' quick opening. Dane Murray, who had a difficult day, conceded an own goal due to confusion when trying to clear a ball into the box. Celtic edged their way back into the game, skipper Callum McGregor, scoring a Kieran Tierney cutback for level terms.
Solid Backline
The keeper Alexander Schwolow, who had saved superbly from Benjamin Nygren in the first half, kept out an Engels shot which flicked off Magnússon. Craig Halkett thwarted a Shin Yamada attempt in the dying moments. They comfortably saw out the game as the minutes passed. “We stand firm” has become the Tynecastle verse of choice at Tynecastle. It's hard to ignore the buzz.
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