The Tynecastle side Push 8 Points in Front at Top Following Shankland's Penalty Kick Overcomes The Hoops
We did not witness at Tynecastle, as it's far too early for such achievements. The encounter underlined is that Heart of Midlothian have a genuine credible shot of disrupting Scottish football's long-standing dominance by two. Make that an eight-point lead for Hearts over Celtic, whom they comfortably swatted aside. Try to chase them down.
Turning Point in the After the Break
Three second-half minutes were key, once the initial exchanges that was evenly matched. What was so notable after Hearts surged 3-1 in front was how stress-free the closing stages of the game was for the home side. Alexandros Kyziridis scored Heartsā second, cutting in from the left before firing a powerful effort past the motionless Kasper Schmeichel. Soon there was further euphoria in the stands, the Celtic defender bringing down ClĆ”udio Braga for a penalty that Shankland converted. Brendan Rodgers appeared frustrated; challenges abound for him.
Fans start to rejoice after Alexandros Kyziridis (second right) puts Hearts 2-1 up against the opposition.
Celtic's Response
Celtic bounced back from an early setback. The defender, who struggled throughout, conceded an own goal due to haste when trying to deal with a ball into the box. Celtic edged their way back into the game, leader McGregor, finishing a Kieran Tierney pull-back for the equaliser.
Hearts' Defensive Resilience
The shot-stopper Schwolow, who had saved superbly from Nygren in the first half, blocked an Engels shot which touched TĆ³mas MagnĆŗsson. Craig Halkett blocked a Yamada attempt in stoppage time. The hosts faced little else as the game concluded. āWe stand firmā has become the popular anthem at Tynecastle. One cannot overlook the noise.
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