The Jambos Push 8 Points Clear at Top Following Lawrence Shankland's Penalty Defeats The Glasgow Giants
History wasn't made at Tynecastle Park, since it's far too early for such landmarks. The encounter underlined is that Heart of Midlothian are at least in with strong chance of disrupting Scottish football's four decade-long title duopoly. They now lead by eight points for Hearts over Celtic, whom they comfortably swatted aside. Catch them if you can.
Turning Point in the Second Half
A crucial three-minute spell proved decisive, after an opening period that was evenly matched. What was so notable after Hearts surged 3-1 in front was how stress-free the remainder of the game was for the Tynecastle team. The Greek winger netted the second goal, moving infield before blasting a strike past the static Kasper Schmeichel. Soon there was further euphoria in the stands, Murray bringing down the Hearts player for a spot-kick that Shankland slotted home. The Celtic manager cut such a disconsolate figure; he hardly has his troubles to seek.
The crowd erupted after Alexandros Kyziridis (second right) puts Hearts 2-1 up against the opposition.
Celtic's Response
The away side responded positively from an early setback. The defender, who had a difficult day, scored an own goal due to confusion when trying to clear a Shankland cross. Celtic edged their way back into the game, skipper Callum McGregor, scoring a Tierney pull-back for level terms.
Stubborn Defence
The shot-stopper Schwolow, who had denied from Nygren in the first half, kept out an Arne Engels shot which flicked off Magnússon. Craig Halkett stopped a Shin Yamada attempt in added time. They comfortably saw out the game as the clock ticked down. “We stand firm” has become the Tynecastle verse of choice at the ground. One cannot overlook the noise.
- Full report to follow.
