Hearts Move 8 Points Clear at Top After Shankland's Spot-Kick Defeats Celtic
History wasn't made at Tynecastle Park, as it's far too early for such landmarks. The encounter underlined is that Hearts have a genuine credible shot of disrupting Scottish football's long-standing title duopoly. They now lead by eight points for the maroon side over their rivals, whom they easily dispatched. Catch them if you can.
Turning Point in the Latter Period
Three second-half minutes made the difference, following a tight first half that was fiercely fought. It was remarkable after Hearts surged 3-1 in front was how stress-free the remainder of the game was for the Tynecastle team. Kyziridis doubled the lead, cutting in from the left before thumping a right-footed shot past the static the Celtic keeper. More joy followed in the stands, Murray fouling Braga for a foul that Shankland tucked away. The Celtic manager looked dejected; his problems are mounting.
Fans start to rejoice after Kyziridis (second right) scores to make it 2-1 against Celtic.
Celtic's Response
Celtic had actually recovered well from the hosts' quick opening. The defender, who struggled throughout, turned the ball into his own net due to haste when trying to deal with a delivery from Shankland. The Hoops worked their way into the game, leader Callum McGregor, finishing a Kieran Tierney cutback for level terms.
Hearts' Defensive Resilience
The Hearts goalkeeper Alexander Schwolow, who had denied from Benjamin Nygren in the first half, kept out an Arne Engels shot which flicked off Tómas Magnússon. Craig Halkett stopped a Yamada attempt in the dying moments. They comfortably saw out the game as the clock ticked down. “We shall not be moved” has become the Tynecastle verse of choice at Tynecastle. It's hard to ignore the buzz.
- Complete analysis coming soon.
