Hearts Extend Eight Points Ahead Clear at the Summit After Lawrence Shankland's Penalty Defeats The Hoops
A historic moment didn't occur at their home ground, since it's far too early for such milestones. This game highlighted is that the Edinburgh club are at least in with strong chance of ending Scottish football's 40-year dominance by two. That advantage stands at eight points for Hearts over Celtic, whom they easily dispatched. Catch them if you can.
Key Moments in the Second Half
Three second-half minutes proved decisive, once the initial exchanges that was evenly matched. The striking aspect after they extended their advantage was how stress-free the remainder of the game was for the Tynecastle team. The Greek winger netted the second goal, cutting in from the left before firing a powerful effort past the stationary the Celtic keeper. Delight increased in the stands, Dane Murray fouling Braga for a spot-kick that Shankland converted. The Celtic manager cut such a disconsolate figure; he hardly has his troubles to seek.
Fans start to rejoice after Alexandros Kyziridis (second right) puts Hearts 2-1 up against the opposition.
The Visitors' Fightback
Celtic had actually recovered well from the hosts' quick opening. Murray, who struggled throughout, turned the ball into his own net due to panic when trying to remove a Shankland cross. The Hoops worked their way into the game, the captain Callum McGregor, scoring a Kieran Tierney cutback for the equaliser.
Solid Backline
The keeper Schwolow, who had saved superbly from Benjamin Nygren in the first half, blocked an Engels shot which deflected off Tómas Magnússon. Craig Halkett blocked a Yamada attempt in stoppage time. They comfortably saw out the game as the minutes passed. “We stand firm” has become the favoured chant at Tynecastle. It's hard to ignore the buzz.
- Detailed coverage to follow.
