The Jambos Move 8 Points Ahead Ahead at Top Following Shankland's Spot-Kick Defeats The Hoops
History wasn't made at Tynecastle, with it being far too early for such achievements. The encounter underlined is that the Edinburgh club are at least in with credible shot of disrupting Scottish football's 40-year title duopoly. That advantage stands at eight points for the team over their rivals, whom they comfortably swatted aside. The challenge is now for others.
Turning Point in the Latter Period
A brief but pivotal phase proved decisive, once the initial exchanges that was fiercely fought. It was remarkable after they extended their advantage was how stress-free the remainder of the game was for the Tynecastle team. Alexandros Kyziridis doubled the lead, drifting inside before firing a powerful effort past the motionless Kasper Schmeichel. Soon there was further euphoria in the stands, Murray bringing down Cláudio Braga for a penalty that Lawrence Shankland converted. The Celtic manager cut such a disconsolate figure; challenges abound for him.
The crowd erupted after Alexandros Kyziridis (second right) puts Hearts 2-1 up against Celtic.
Hoops' Reaction
Celtic had actually recovered well from an early setback. The defender, who endured a torrid afternoon, turned the ball into his own net due to panic when trying to clear a ball into the box. They gradually fought back into the game, leader Callum McGregor, scoring a Kieran Tierney pass for 1-1.
Solid Backline
The shot-stopper Schwolow, who had made a brilliant stop from Nygren in the first half, kept out an Engels shot which flicked off Tómas Magnússon. Craig Halkett blocked a Yamada attempt in stoppage time. Hearts were otherwise untroubled as the minutes passed. “We remain resolute” has become the favoured chant at the ground. It's hard to ignore the noise.
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