The Jambos Extend 8 Points Clear at Top After Lawrence Shankland's Spot-Kick Defeats The Hoops
We did not witness at Tynecastle, with it being far too early for such landmarks. The encounter underlined is that Heart of Midlothian have a genuine credible shot of disrupting Scottish football's four decade-long title duopoly. That advantage stands at eight points for Hearts over their rivals, whom they comfortably swatted aside. Try to chase them down.
Decisive Period in the After the Break
Three second-half minutes made the difference, after an opening period that was contested closely. What was so notable after they extended their advantage was how untroubled the rest of the game was for the Tynecastle team. Kyziridis scored Hearts’ second, cutting in from the left before blasting a strike past the static Kasper Schmeichel. Soon there was further euphoria in the stands, Dane Murray upending Braga for a foul that the captain converted. Brendan Rodgers appeared frustrated; his problems are mounting.
Supporters began celebrating after Alexandros Kyziridis (second right) scores to make it 2-1 against the opposition.
Celtic's Response
The away side responded positively from the hosts' quick opening. Dane Murray, who struggled throughout, scored an own goal due to panic when trying to clear a delivery from Shankland. Celtic edged their way back into the game, skipper McGregor, scoring a Kieran Tierney cutback for 1-1.
Stubborn Defence
The keeper Alexander Schwolow, who had denied from Benjamin Nygren in the first half, parried an Engels shot which touched Magnússon. Craig Halkett stopped a Shin Yamada attempt in added time. Hearts were otherwise untroubled as the minutes passed. “We stand firm” has become the favoured chant at the ground. It's hard to ignore the buzz.
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