The Jambos Extend 8 Points Ahead Clear at the Pinnacle After Lawrence Shankland's Penalty Sees Off The Hoops
A historic moment didn't occur at Tynecastle Park, since it's far too early for such landmarks. The encounter underlined is that Hearts have a genuine strong chance of breaking Scottish football's 40-year dominance by two. Make that an eight-point lead for Hearts over the visitors, whom they easily dispatched. The challenge is now for others.
Key Moments in the Latter Period
Three second-half minutes were key, once the initial exchanges that was evenly matched. It was remarkable after they extended their advantage was how comfortable the rest of the game was for the home side. Kyziridis doubled the lead, moving infield before blasting a strike past the static the Celtic keeper. Delight increased in the stands, the Celtic defender fouling Cláudio Braga for a foul that the captain slotted home. Brendan Rodgers cut such a disconsolate figure; he hardly has his troubles to seek.
The crowd erupted after Alexandros Kyziridis (second right) scores to make it 2-1 against the opposition.
The Visitors' Fightback
Celtic had actually recovered well from the hosts' quick opening. The defender, who struggled throughout, turned the ball into his own net due to haste when trying to remove a ball into the box. The Hoops worked their way into the game, the captain Callum McGregor, finishing a Kieran Tierney pull-back for level terms.
Hearts' Defensive Resilience
The keeper Schwolow, who had saved superbly from Nygren in the first half, parried an Engels shot which flicked off Magnússon. Craig Halkett thwarted a Yamada attempt in stoppage time. They comfortably saw out the game as the game concluded. “We stand firm” has become the popular anthem at the ground. It is becoming increasingly difficult the noise.
- Complete analysis to follow.
