Hearts Move Eight Points in Front at the Pinnacle Following Lawrence Shankland's Penalty Sees Off Celtic
A historic moment didn't occur at Tynecastle, as it's far too early for such milestones. The encounter underlined is that Heart of Midlothian are at least in with serious opportunity of breaking Scottish football's four decade-long stranglehold. Make that an eight-point lead for the maroon side over their rivals, whom they easily dispatched. The challenge is now for others.
Key Moments in the After the Break
A brief but pivotal phase made the difference, once the initial exchanges 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 hosts. Kyziridis scored Hearts’ second, drifting inside before thumping a right-footed shot past the stationary the Celtic keeper. More joy followed in the stands, Dane Murray fouling Braga for a foul that Shankland slotted home. The Celtic manager cut such a disconsolate figure; he hardly has his troubles to seek.
The crowd erupted after Alexandros Kyziridis (second right) puts Hearts 2-1 up against Celtic.
The Visitors' Fightback
The away side responded positively from Hearts’ rapid start. Murray, who struggled throughout, conceded an own goal due to confusion when trying to deal with a Shankland cross. They gradually fought back into the game, leader McGregor, turning home a Kieran Tierney cutback for 1-1.
Stubborn Defence
The Hearts goalkeeper Alexander Schwolow, who had made a brilliant stop from Benjamin Nygren in the first half, kept out an Arne Engels shot which flicked off Tómas Magnússon. Craig Halkett blocked a Yamada attempt in stoppage time. The hosts faced little else as the game concluded. “We stand firm” has become the favoured chant at Tynecastle. It is becoming increasingly difficult the excitement.
- Complete analysis coming soon.
