Hearts Push Eight Points Clear Ahead at the Pinnacle Following Shankland's Spot-Kick Defeats The Hoops
A historic moment didn't occur at Tynecastle, with it being far too early for such milestones. This game highlighted is that the Edinburgh club are at least in with strong chance of disrupting Scottish football's four decade-long title duopoly. They now lead by eight points for the team over Celtic, whom they comfortably swatted aside. Try to chase them down.
Turning Point in the Second Half
Three second-half minutes proved decisive, 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 Tynecastle team. Alexandros Kyziridis scored Hearts’ second, cutting in from the left before thumping a right-footed shot past the stationary Kasper Schmeichel. Soon there was further euphoria in the stands, Murray fouling the Hearts player for a penalty that Shankland converted. Brendan Rodgers looked dejected; he hardly has his troubles to seek.
Supporters began celebrating after Alexandros Kyziridis (second right) scores to make it 2-1 against the opposition.
Hoops' Reaction
Celtic bounced back from the hosts' quick opening. The defender, who had a difficult day, scored an own goal due to confusion when trying to clear a Shankland cross. They gradually fought back into the game, leader McGregor, turning home a Kieran Tierney pull-back for 1-1.
Hearts' Defensive Resilience
The Hearts goalkeeper Schwolow, who had saved superbly from Nygren in the first half, kept out an Engels shot which flicked off Magnússon. Craig Halkett thwarted a Yamada attempt in added time. Hearts were otherwise untroubled as the clock ticked down. “We stand firm” has become the popular anthem at the ground. It's hard to ignore the buzz.
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