Hearts Push Eight Points in Front at the Summit Following Lawrence Shankland's Spot-Kick Sees Off Celtic
A historic moment didn't occur at Tynecastle Park, since it's far too early for such achievements. The encounter underlined is that Heart of Midlothian possess a real strong chance of breaking Scottish football's long-standing title duopoly. Make that an eight-point lead for the maroon side over their rivals, whom they decisively beat. The challenge is now for others.
Turning Point in the Second Half
Three second-half minutes made the difference, following a tight first half that was evenly matched. It was remarkable after they took a 3-1 lead was how stress-free the rest of the game was for the Tynecastle team. Kyziridis doubled the lead, moving infield before blasting a strike past the stationary the goalkeeper. Delight increased in the stands, the Celtic defender bringing down Cláudio Braga for a foul that Lawrence Shankland slotted home. Rodgers looked dejected; challenges abound for him.
The crowd erupted after Kyziridis (second right) gives Hearts the lead against Celtic.
The Visitors' Fightback
Celtic bounced back from the hosts' quick opening. Murray, who had a difficult day, turned the ball into his own net due to haste when trying to remove a ball into the box. They gradually fought back into the game, leader Callum McGregor, turning home a Tierney pass for level terms.
Stubborn Defence
The shot-stopper Alexander Schwolow, who had denied from Benjamin Nygren in the first half, parried an Engels shot which flicked off Magnússon. Craig Halkett stopped a Shin Yamada attempt in added time. The hosts faced little else as the minutes passed. “We stand firm” has become the favoured chant at Tynecastle. It's hard to ignore the buzz.
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