The Tynecastle side Move Eight Points Ahead at the Summit Following Lawrence Shankland's Spot-Kick Defeats The Hoops
We did not witness at Tynecastle Park, with it being far too early for such milestones. What this match did emphasise is that the Edinburgh club possess a real credible shot of breaking Scottish football's long-standing title duopoly. Make that an eight-point lead for the team over the visitors, whom they easily dispatched. Catch them if you can.
Turning Point in the Latter Period
A brief but pivotal phase proved decisive, once the initial exchanges that was contested closely. The striking aspect after they took a 3-1 lead was how comfortable the closing stages of the game was for the home side. Alexandros Kyziridis doubled the lead, cutting in from the left before thumping a right-footed shot past the motionless Kasper Schmeichel. Delight increased in the stands, the Celtic defender upending the Hearts player for a penalty that Lawrence Shankland converted. Brendan Rodgers looked dejected; he hardly has his troubles to seek.
The crowd erupted after Kyziridis (second right) gives Hearts the lead against the opposition.
The Visitors' Fightback
Celtic bounced back from an early setback. Murray, who endured a torrid afternoon, conceded an own goal due to haste when trying to deal with a Shankland cross. They gradually fought back into the game, the captain Callum McGregor, scoring a Tierney cutback for level terms.
Stubborn Defence
The shot-stopper Alexander Schwolow, who had saved superbly from Nygren in the first half, kept out an Engels shot which deflected off Magnússon. Halkett blocked a Shin Yamada attempt in the dying moments. The hosts faced little else as the game concluded. “We shall not be moved” has become the popular anthem at Tynecastle. It's hard to ignore the noise.
- Full report coming soon.
