Hearts Extend 8 Points Ahead at the Summit Following Lawrence Shankland's Spot-Kick Overcomes The Hoops
History wasn't made at Tynecastle, as it's far too early for such landmarks. What this match did emphasise is that Heart of Midlothian have a genuine strong chance of disrupting Scottish football's four decade-long dominance by two. They now lead by eight points for Hearts over Celtic, whom they decisively beat. Catch them if you can.
Turning Point in the Second Half
A brief but pivotal phase made the difference, following a tight first half that was fiercely fought. What was so notable after they took a 3-1 lead was how untroubled the closing stages of the game was for the hosts. Kyziridis doubled the lead, drifting inside before blasting a strike past the stationary the goalkeeper. Delight increased in the stands, Dane Murray bringing down the Hearts player for a penalty that Shankland slotted home. Brendan Rodgers cut such a disconsolate figure; he hardly has his troubles to seek.
The crowd erupted after Alexandros Kyziridis (second right) scores to make it 2-1 against the opposition.
Hoops' Reaction
Celtic had actually recovered well from Hearts’ rapid start. The defender, who endured a torrid afternoon, conceded an own goal due to panic when trying to remove a delivery from Shankland. Celtic edged their way back into the game, leader McGregor, finishing a Kieran Tierney pull-back for level terms.
Hearts' Defensive Resilience
The shot-stopper Alexander Schwolow, who had made a brilliant stop from Benjamin Nygren in the first half, kept out an Engels shot which deflected off Tómas Magnússon. Craig Halkett blocked a Yamada attempt in the dying moments. They comfortably saw out the game as the game concluded. “We shall not be moved” has become the Tynecastle verse of choice at Tynecastle. It's hard to ignore the excitement.
- Complete analysis coming soon.
