The Jambos Push Eight Points Ahead at the Pinnacle After Lawrence Shankland's Penalty Defeats The Hoops
A historic moment didn't occur at Tynecastle Park, with it being far too early for such milestones. What this match did emphasise is that Heart of Midlothian have a genuine credible shot of disrupting Scottish football's 40-year dominance by two. They now lead by eight points for the maroon side over Celtic, whom they comfortably swatted aside. Catch them if you can.
Decisive Period in the After the Break
Three second-half minutes made the difference, after an opening period that was fiercely fought. It was remarkable after they took a 3-1 lead was how comfortable the closing stages of the game was for the hosts. The Greek winger scored Hearts’ second, moving infield before firing a powerful effort past the motionless the goalkeeper. More joy followed in the stands, Murray fouling Cláudio Braga for a foul that Lawrence Shankland tucked away. Brendan Rodgers cut such a disconsolate figure; his problems are mounting.
Fans start to rejoice after Kyziridis (second right) gives Hearts the lead against Celtic.
The Visitors' Fightback
Celtic had actually recovered well from the hosts' quick opening. Murray, who struggled throughout, scored an own goal due to haste when trying to remove a Shankland cross. They gradually fought back into the game, the captain McGregor, turning home a Kieran Tierney cutback for level terms.
Hearts' Defensive Resilience
The Hearts goalkeeper Schwolow, who had saved superbly from Nygren in the first half, parried an Arne Engels shot which deflected off Magnússon. Halkett stopped a Yamada attempt in added time. The hosts faced little else as the game concluded. “We stand firm” has become the favoured chant at the stadium. It's hard to ignore the noise.
- Full report coming soon.
