Hearts Push 8 Points Clear at the Summit After Shankland's Spot-Kick Overcomes The Hoops

We did not witness at Tynecastle Park, with it being far too early for such landmarks. What this match did emphasise is that Heart of Midlothian are at least in with serious opportunity of ending Scottish football's long-standing dominance by two. Make that an eight-point lead for Hearts over the visitors, whom they comfortably swatted aside. Catch them if you can.

Turning Point in the Latter Period

A brief but pivotal phase made the difference, after an opening period that was fiercely fought. The striking aspect after they took a 3-1 lead was how stress-free the remainder of the game was for the Tynecastle team. Kyziridis netted the second goal, cutting in from the left before firing a powerful effort past the motionless Kasper Schmeichel. Soon there was further euphoria in the stands, Murray fouling Cláudio Braga for a penalty that the captain converted. Brendan Rodgers looked dejected; he hardly has his troubles to seek.

Fans start to rejoice after Kyziridis (second right) scores to make it 2-1 against Celtic.

Celtic's Response

The away side responded positively from Hearts’ rapid start. Dane Murray, who had a difficult day, conceded an own goal due to confusion when trying to remove a Shankland cross. The Hoops worked their way into the game, leader Callum McGregor, scoring a Tierney cutback for 1-1.

Stubborn Defence

The shot-stopper Schwolow, who had saved superbly from Benjamin Nygren in the first half, kept out an 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 remain resolute” has become the Tynecastle verse of choice at the stadium. It is becoming increasingly difficult the noise.

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