The Jambos Extend 8 Points in Front at the Summit After Lawrence Shankland's Penalty Defeats Celtic
We did not witness at Tynecastle Park, as it's far too early for such achievements. This game highlighted is that the Edinburgh club possess a real strong chance of breaking Scottish football's four decade-long dominance by two. They now lead by eight points for the team over Celtic, whom they comfortably swatted aside. Try to chase them down.
Decisive Period in the After the Break
A brief but pivotal phase proved decisive, after an opening period that was evenly matched. It was remarkable after Hearts surged 3-1 in front was how stress-free the rest of the game was for the hosts. The Greek winger netted the second goal, moving infield before blasting a strike past the motionless the goalkeeper. More joy followed in the stands, the Celtic defender fouling Braga for a spot-kick that Lawrence Shankland slotted home. Brendan Rodgers appeared frustrated; his problems are mounting.
Supporters began celebrating after Alexandros Kyziridis (second right) gives Hearts the lead against Celtic.
The Visitors' Fightback
Celtic had actually recovered well from the hosts' quick opening. Dane Murray, who struggled throughout, conceded an own goal due to haste when trying to remove a delivery from Shankland. Celtic edged their way back into the game, the captain Callum McGregor, turning home a Tierney pull-back for the equaliser.
Solid Backline
The shot-stopper Alexander Schwolow, who had denied from Benjamin Nygren in the first half, kept out an Engels shot which deflected off Magnússon. Halkett blocked a Shin Yamada attempt in added time. They comfortably saw out the game as the minutes passed. “We stand firm” has become the favoured chant at the ground. It's hard to ignore the excitement.
- Complete analysis coming soon.