The Tynecastle side Push 8 Points Clear Ahead at the Pinnacle After Lawrence Shankland's Penalty Overcomes The Hoops
A historic moment didn't occur at Tynecastle, as it's far too early for such achievements. What this match did emphasise is that Heart of Midlothian have a genuine serious opportunity of disrupting Scottish football's four decade-long dominance by two. They now lead by eight points for the maroon side over the visitors, whom they comfortably swatted aside. Catch them if you can.
Turning Point in the Second Half
A brief but pivotal phase were key, after an opening period that was contested closely. The striking aspect after they took a 3-1 lead was how stress-free the closing stages of the game was for the home side. Alexandros Kyziridis doubled the lead, cutting in from the left before firing a powerful effort past the static the Celtic keeper. More joy followed in the stands, Dane Murray upending Braga for a spot-kick that Lawrence Shankland tucked away. Rodgers appeared frustrated; he hardly has his troubles to seek.
The crowd erupted after Alexandros Kyziridis (second right) gives Hearts the lead against Celtic.
Hoops' Reaction
Celtic had actually recovered well from an early setback. Dane Murray, who had a difficult day, conceded an own goal due to confusion when trying to remove a Shankland cross. The Hoops worked their way into the game, leader McGregor, scoring a Kieran Tierney pull-back for 1-1.
Stubborn Defence
The Hearts goalkeeper Schwolow, who had made a brilliant stop from Benjamin Nygren in the first half, parried an Engels shot which deflected off Tómas Magnússon. Craig Halkett thwarted a Shin Yamada attempt in stoppage time. The hosts faced little else as the clock ticked down. “We remain resolute” has become the Tynecastle verse of choice at the ground. It's hard to ignore the buzz.
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