The Tynecastle side Push Eight Points in Front at the Pinnacle After Shankland's Penalty Kick Defeats Celtic
History wasn't made at Tynecastle Park, since it's far too early for such achievements. The encounter underlined is that the Edinburgh club are at least in with strong chance of breaking Scottish football's four decade-long stranglehold. Make that an eight-point lead for the team over their rivals, whom they comfortably swatted aside. Try to chase them down.
Key Moments in the Second Half
Three second-half minutes were key, once the initial exchanges that was evenly matched. The striking aspect after they extended their advantage was how untroubled the closing stages of the game was for the home side. The Greek winger doubled the lead, cutting in from the left before thumping a right-footed shot past the stationary Kasper Schmeichel. More joy followed in the stands, Murray fouling the Hearts player for a foul that the captain tucked away. The Celtic manager looked dejected; his problems are mounting.
Fans start to rejoice after Kyziridis (second right) gives Hearts the lead against Celtic.
Hoops' Reaction
The away side responded positively from an early setback. Murray, who struggled throughout, turned the ball into his own net due to haste when trying to clear a delivery from Shankland. They gradually fought back into the game, skipper McGregor, turning home a Kieran Tierney pass for 1-1.
Solid Backline
The keeper Schwolow, who had denied from 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 noise.
- Complete analysis coming soon.
