The Jambos Extend 8 Points Ahead at the Pinnacle After Shankland's Penalty Kick Defeats Celtic
History wasn't made at their home ground, with it being far too early for such milestones. This game highlighted is that Hearts are at least in with strong chance of disrupting Scottish football's 40-year title duopoly. That advantage stands at eight points for Hearts over the visitors, whom they easily dispatched. Catch them if you can.
Key Moments in the Latter Period
A brief but pivotal phase made the difference, after an opening period that was contested closely. The striking aspect after they extended their advantage was how stress-free the remainder of the game was for the Tynecastle team. Kyziridis scored Hearts’ second, drifting inside before firing a powerful effort past the motionless the Celtic keeper. Delight increased in the stands, Murray upending Cláudio Braga for a foul that the captain tucked away. The Celtic manager appeared frustrated; challenges abound for him.
The crowd erupted after Kyziridis (second right) scores to make it 2-1 against Celtic.
Hoops' Reaction
Celtic had actually recovered well from an early setback. Dane Murray, who endured a torrid afternoon, conceded an own goal due to haste when trying to deal with a ball into the box. They gradually fought back into the game, skipper McGregor, turning home a Kieran Tierney pass for level terms.
Solid Backline
The Hearts goalkeeper Schwolow, who had made a brilliant stop from Benjamin Nygren in the first half, parried an Arne Engels shot which deflected off Magnússon. Halkett thwarted a Yamada attempt in stoppage time. The hosts faced little else as the clock ticked down. “We remain resolute” has become the favoured chant at the ground. It is becoming increasingly difficult the noise.
- Detailed coverage coming soon.