Hearts Extend 8 Points Clear Clear at the Pinnacle After Lawrence Shankland's Penalty Defeats The Hoops
History wasn't made at Tynecastle, since it's far too early for such milestones. What this match did emphasise is that Heart of Midlothian are at least in with strong chance 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.
Key Moments in the Second Half
A crucial three-minute spell proved decisive, once the initial exchanges that was evenly matched. What was so notable after they took a 3-1 lead was how untroubled the remainder of the game was for the hosts. Kyziridis doubled the lead, moving infield before firing a powerful effort past the motionless Kasper Schmeichel. More joy followed in the stands, the Celtic defender bringing down Braga for a foul that Shankland tucked away. Brendan Rodgers looked dejected; challenges abound for him.
The crowd erupted after Kyziridis (second right) puts Hearts 2-1 up against Celtic.
Hoops' Reaction
Celtic bounced back from the hosts' quick opening. Murray, who endured a torrid afternoon, turned the ball into his own net due to haste when trying to remove a delivery from Shankland. They gradually fought back into the game, the captain McGregor, scoring a Kieran Tierney cutback for 1-1.
Hearts' Defensive Resilience
The shot-stopper Schwolow, who had denied from Benjamin Nygren in the first half, blocked an Arne Engels shot which deflected off Magnússon. Halkett stopped a Shin Yamada attempt in added time. Hearts were otherwise untroubled as the clock ticked down. “We remain resolute” has become the Tynecastle verse of choice at Tynecastle. It's hard to ignore the buzz.
- Full report will be available.
