Hearts Push Eight Points Clear in Front at Top After Shankland's Penalty Defeats Celtic
History wasn't made at Tynecastle Park, with it being far too early for such landmarks. What this match did emphasise is that the Edinburgh club are at least in with strong chance of breaking Scottish football's four decade-long title duopoly. That advantage stands at eight points for Hearts over the visitors, whom they easily dispatched. Try to chase them down.
Key Moments in the After the Break
A crucial three-minute spell were key, once the initial exchanges that was evenly matched. The striking aspect after they took a 3-1 lead was how stress-free the remainder of the game was for the Tynecastle team. Alexandros Kyziridis doubled the lead, cutting in from the left before blasting a strike past the static the Celtic keeper. Delight increased in the stands, Murray fouling Braga for a penalty that Lawrence Shankland tucked away. The Celtic manager cut such a disconsolate figure; he hardly has his troubles to seek.
Supporters began celebrating after Alexandros Kyziridis (second right) scores to make it 2-1 against Celtic.
The Visitors' Fightback
The away side responded positively from Hearts’ rapid start. Dane Murray, who endured a torrid afternoon, scored an own goal due to panic when trying to remove a Shankland cross. Celtic edged their way back into the game, skipper Callum McGregor, scoring a Tierney pass for level terms.
Hearts' Defensive Resilience
The shot-stopper Schwolow, who had made a brilliant stop from Benjamin Nygren in the first half, kept out an Arne Engels shot which touched Magnússon. Halkett blocked a Yamada attempt in the dying moments. They comfortably saw out the game as the game concluded. “We remain resolute” has become the Tynecastle verse of choice at the stadium. It is becoming increasingly difficult the noise.
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