The Tynecastle side Move 8 Points in Front at Top After Shankland's Penalty Defeats Celtic
History wasn't made at their home ground, as it's far too early for such milestones. The encounter underlined is that Heart of Midlothian are at least in with serious opportunity of disrupting Scottish football's long-standing dominance by two. That advantage stands at eight points for the team over Celtic, whom they comfortably swatted aside. Catch them if you can.
Turning Point in the Latter Period
Three second-half minutes were key, once the initial exchanges that was contested closely. What was so notable after Hearts surged 3-1 in front was how untroubled the rest of the game was for the hosts. The Greek winger doubled the lead, moving infield before thumping a right-footed shot past the stationary Kasper Schmeichel. More joy followed in the stands, the Celtic defender bringing down Cláudio Braga for a foul that Lawrence Shankland converted. The Celtic manager cut such a disconsolate figure; he hardly has his troubles to seek.
The crowd erupted 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. The Hoops worked their way into the game, leader Callum McGregor, finishing a Tierney cutback for level terms.
Hearts' Defensive Resilience
The Hearts goalkeeper Schwolow, who had saved superbly from Benjamin Nygren in the first half, kept out an Arne Engels shot which flicked off Magnússon. Halkett thwarted a Shin Yamada attempt in stoppage time. The hosts faced little else as the game concluded. “We shall not be moved” has become the Tynecastle verse of choice at the ground. It's hard to ignore the noise.
- Full report to follow.
