Hearts Push 8 Points in Front at the Summit Following Lawrence Shankland's Penalty Overcomes Celtic
A historic moment didn't occur at Tynecastle, with it being far too early for such milestones. The encounter underlined is that the Edinburgh club are at least in with serious opportunity of ending Scottish football's long-standing dominance by two. Make that an eight-point lead for the team over the visitors, whom they easily dispatched. Catch them if you can.
Turning Point in the Latter Period
A brief but pivotal phase made the difference, following a tight first half that was contested closely. The striking aspect after they took a 3-1 lead was how stress-free the rest of the game was for the Tynecastle team. Alexandros Kyziridis scored Hearts’ second, drifting inside before firing a powerful effort past the static Kasper Schmeichel. Soon there was further euphoria in the stands, Dane Murray bringing down Cláudio Braga for a foul that Lawrence Shankland tucked away. Rodgers appeared frustrated; he hardly has his troubles to seek.
The crowd erupted after Alexandros Kyziridis (second right) scores to make it 2-1 against Celtic.
The Visitors' Fightback
Celtic had actually recovered well from the hosts' quick opening. Dane Murray, who endured a torrid afternoon, conceded an own goal due to haste when trying to clear a Shankland cross. The Hoops worked their way into the game, leader McGregor, scoring a Kieran Tierney pass for the equaliser.
Solid Backline
The shot-stopper Alexander Schwolow, who had saved superbly from Benjamin Nygren in the first half, parried an Engels shot which touched Magnússon. Craig Halkett thwarted a Yamada attempt in stoppage time. They comfortably saw out the game as the clock ticked down. “We stand firm” has become the favoured chant at the ground. One cannot overlook the buzz.
- Full report coming soon.
