The Tynecastle side Push 8 Points Ahead at Top Following Lawrence Shankland's Penalty Kick Sees Off The Hoops
We did not witness at Tynecastle Park, with it being far too early for such milestones. What this match did emphasise is that Hearts have a genuine serious opportunity of disrupting Scottish football's long-standing dominance by two. That advantage stands at eight points for the team over Celtic, whom they comfortably swatted aside. Try to chase them down.
Decisive Period in the Second Half
Three second-half minutes made the difference, once the initial exchanges that was fiercely fought. The striking aspect after Hearts surged 3-1 in front was how stress-free the rest of the game was for the home side. The Greek winger doubled the lead, drifting inside before blasting a strike past the stationary Kasper Schmeichel. Soon there was further euphoria in the stands, the Celtic defender fouling Cláudio Braga for a spot-kick that the captain tucked away. The Celtic manager looked dejected; he hardly has his troubles to seek.
Fans start to rejoice after Alexandros Kyziridis (second right) gives Hearts the lead against Celtic.
The Visitors' Fightback
Celtic had actually recovered well from Hearts’ rapid start. The defender, who had a difficult day, scored an own goal due to confusion when trying to remove a ball into the box. They gradually fought back into the game, the captain Callum McGregor, finishing a Tierney pull-back for the equaliser.
Solid Backline
The shot-stopper Schwolow, who had made a brilliant stop from Benjamin Nygren in the first half, parried an Engels shot which deflected off Magnússon. Halkett stopped a Shin Yamada attempt in added time. Hearts were otherwise untroubled as the game concluded. “We remain resolute” has become the Tynecastle verse of choice at Tynecastle. It's hard to ignore the noise.
- Complete analysis to follow.
