Hearts Push 8 Points Clear Ahead at the Pinnacle Following Lawrence Shankland's Spot-Kick Overcomes The Glasgow Giants
History wasn't made at Tynecastle, since it's far too early for such landmarks. The encounter underlined is that Heart of Midlothian are at least in with serious opportunity of breaking Scottish football's 40-year stranglehold. That advantage stands at eight points for Hearts over Celtic, whom they comfortably swatted aside. Try to chase them down.
Turning Point in the Second Half
A crucial three-minute spell were key, following a tight first half that was contested closely. It was remarkable after they extended their advantage was how stress-free the closing stages of the game was for the home side. The Greek winger netted the second goal, moving infield before thumping a right-footed shot past the motionless the goalkeeper. Soon there was further euphoria in the stands, the Celtic defender upending Cláudio Braga for a penalty that the captain slotted home. The Celtic manager cut such a disconsolate figure; his problems are mounting.
Fans start to rejoice after Kyziridis (second right) scores to make it 2-1 against Celtic.
Hoops' Reaction
Celtic bounced back from the hosts' quick opening. The defender, who struggled throughout, turned the ball into his own net due to confusion when trying to clear a ball into the box. They gradually fought back into the game, the captain Callum McGregor, scoring a Kieran Tierney pull-back for level terms.
Solid Backline
The Hearts goalkeeper Schwolow, who had made a brilliant stop from Benjamin Nygren in the first half, kept out an Engels shot which deflected off Magnússon. Halkett blocked a Yamada attempt in added time. They comfortably saw out the game as the game concluded. “We shall not be moved” has become the favoured chant at the stadium. It's hard to ignore the buzz.
- Complete analysis to follow.
