Hearts Push 8 Points in Front at the Summit Following Shankland's Spot-Kick Sees Off Celtic
We did not witness at their home ground, as it's far too early for such achievements. The encounter underlined is that Heart of Midlothian possess a real credible shot of disrupting Scottish football's four decade-long dominance by two. Make that an eight-point lead for the maroon side over their rivals, whom they comfortably swatted aside. The challenge is now for others.
Turning Point in the Second Half
A crucial three-minute spell made the difference, after an opening period that was contested closely. The striking aspect after they took a 3-1 lead was how untroubled the rest of the game was for the hosts. Alexandros Kyziridis doubled the lead, moving infield before firing a powerful effort past the static the Celtic keeper. Delight increased in the stands, Murray fouling Braga for a foul that Shankland slotted home. The Celtic manager looked dejected; he hardly has his troubles to seek.
Fans start to rejoice after Kyziridis (second right) puts Hearts 2-1 up against the opposition.
Hoops' Reaction
The away side responded positively from an early setback. The defender, who had a difficult day, turned the ball into his own net due to confusion when trying to clear a ball into the box. The Hoops worked their way into the game, leader McGregor, scoring a Tierney pull-back for level terms.
Hearts' Defensive Resilience
The Hearts goalkeeper Alexander Schwolow, who had denied from Nygren in the first half, parried an Arne Engels shot which deflected off Tómas Magnússon. Halkett blocked a Yamada attempt in added time. Hearts were otherwise untroubled as the minutes passed. “We stand firm” has become the favoured chant at the stadium. One cannot overlook the excitement.
- Full report will be available.
