Hearts Push 8 Points Ahead Clear at Top After Shankland's Spot-Kick Defeats The Hoops
A historic moment didn't occur at Tynecastle, since it's far too early for such milestones. The encounter underlined is that the Edinburgh club possess a real credible shot of ending Scottish football's four decade-long dominance by two. That advantage stands at eight points for the maroon side over the visitors, whom they easily dispatched. Try to chase them down.
Key Moments in the Second Half
Three second-half minutes were key, after an opening period that was contested closely. The striking aspect after they took a 3-1 lead was how untroubled the rest of the game was for the home side. Kyziridis doubled the lead, moving infield before firing a powerful effort past the stationary the Celtic keeper. More joy followed in the stands, Dane Murray upending Braga for a spot-kick that Lawrence Shankland slotted home. Rodgers appeared frustrated; his problems are mounting.
Fans start to rejoice after Kyziridis (second right) puts Hearts 2-1 up against the opposition.
The Visitors' Fightback
The away side responded positively from an early setback. Murray, who endured a torrid afternoon, turned the ball into his own net due to haste when trying to remove a ball into the box. They gradually fought back into the game, the captain McGregor, finishing a Kieran Tierney pull-back for the equaliser.
Stubborn Defence
The Hearts goalkeeper Schwolow, who had made a brilliant stop from Nygren in the first half, kept out an Arne Engels shot which deflected off Magnússon. Halkett blocked a Shin Yamada attempt in the dying moments. Hearts were otherwise untroubled as the game concluded. “We remain resolute” has become the Tynecastle verse of choice at the ground. One cannot overlook the noise.
- Complete analysis coming soon.
