The Jambos Push 8 Points Clear at the Pinnacle After Shankland's Penalty Overcomes Celtic
History wasn't made at Tynecastle Park, as it's far too early for such achievements. The encounter underlined is that Hearts possess a real credible shot of disrupting Scottish football's 40-year dominance by two. Make that an eight-point lead for Hearts over the visitors, whom they easily dispatched. Catch them if you can.
Turning Point in the After the Break
A brief but pivotal phase made the difference, following a tight first half that was contested closely. It was remarkable after they extended their advantage was how comfortable the rest of the game was for the home side. Kyziridis scored Hearts’ second, moving infield before firing a powerful effort past the stationary the Celtic keeper. More joy followed in the stands, the Celtic defender fouling Braga for a penalty that the captain converted. Rodgers looked dejected; his problems are mounting.
The crowd erupted after Alexandros Kyziridis (second right) puts Hearts 2-1 up against Celtic.
Hoops' Reaction
Celtic had actually recovered well from an early setback. Murray, who struggled throughout, scored an own goal due to confusion when trying to clear a delivery from Shankland. Celtic edged their way back into the game, skipper McGregor, scoring a Kieran Tierney pass for level terms.
Solid Backline
The keeper Schwolow, who had denied from Benjamin Nygren in the first half, parried an Engels shot which deflected off Tómas Magnússon. Craig Halkett thwarted a Yamada attempt in stoppage time. They comfortably saw out the game as the game concluded. “We remain resolute” has become the Tynecastle verse of choice at the ground. One cannot overlook the excitement.
- Detailed coverage to follow.
