The Tynecastle side Move 8 Points Ahead at the Pinnacle After Lawrence Shankland's Spot-Kick Sees Off Celtic
A historic moment didn't occur at Tynecastle Park, with it being far too early for such milestones. This game highlighted is that the Edinburgh club are at least in with serious opportunity of disrupting Scottish football's long-standing dominance by two. Make that an eight-point lead for the team over Celtic, whom they easily dispatched. Try to chase them down.
Turning Point in the Latter Period
Three second-half minutes made the difference, once the initial exchanges that was evenly matched. It was remarkable after they extended their advantage was how stress-free the rest of the game was for the hosts. Kyziridis netted the second goal, cutting in from the left before firing a powerful effort past the static the goalkeeper. Soon there was further euphoria in the stands, the Celtic defender fouling Braga for a foul that Shankland tucked away. Rodgers appeared frustrated; challenges abound for him.
Fans start to rejoice after Kyziridis (second right) puts Hearts 2-1 up against Celtic.
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. They gradually fought back into the game, skipper Callum McGregor, scoring a Kieran Tierney pull-back for the equaliser.
Stubborn Defence
The keeper Alexander Schwolow, who had saved superbly from Benjamin Nygren in the first half, blocked an Arne Engels shot which deflected off Magnússon. Craig Halkett blocked a Yamada attempt in added time. Hearts were otherwise untroubled as the minutes passed. “We shall not be moved” has become the popular anthem at Tynecastle. It's hard to ignore the buzz.
- Complete analysis coming soon.
