The Jambos Extend 8 Points in Front at the Summit Following Shankland's Penalty Kick Defeats The Glasgow Giants
A historic moment didn't occur at Tynecastle, with it being far too early for such milestones. The encounter underlined is that Heart of Midlothian possess a real credible shot of breaking Scottish football's long-standing title duopoly. They now lead by eight points for Hearts over their rivals, whom they easily dispatched. The challenge is now for others.
Key Moments in the Second Half
A brief but pivotal phase were key, after an opening period that was contested closely. The striking aspect after they took a 3-1 lead was how untroubled the remainder of the game was for the home side. Alexandros Kyziridis doubled the lead, moving infield before firing a powerful effort past the static Kasper Schmeichel. More joy followed in the stands, Dane Murray fouling Cláudio Braga for a spot-kick that Lawrence Shankland converted. Rodgers cut such a disconsolate figure; challenges abound for him.
The crowd erupted after Kyziridis (second right) puts Hearts 2-1 up against the opposition.
Hoops' Reaction
Celtic bounced back from an early setback. Murray, who had a difficult day, conceded an own goal due to confusion when trying to deal with a delivery from Shankland. Celtic edged their way back into the game, skipper Callum McGregor, scoring a Kieran Tierney pass for 1-1.
Hearts' Defensive Resilience
The shot-stopper Alexander Schwolow, who had denied from Nygren in the first half, blocked an Arne Engels shot which touched Tómas Magnússon. Craig Halkett thwarted a Yamada attempt in stoppage time. Hearts were otherwise untroubled as the clock ticked down. “We stand firm” has become the popular anthem at the stadium. It's hard to ignore the excitement.
- Detailed coverage to follow.
