The Jambos Push 8 Points Ahead Ahead at the Pinnacle Following Shankland's Penalty Kick Overcomes The Hoops
History wasn't made at Tynecastle, as it's far too early for such milestones. The encounter underlined is that Heart of Midlothian are at least in with credible shot of disrupting Scottish football's 40-year stranglehold. They now lead by eight points for the maroon side over their rivals, whom they comfortably swatted aside. Try to chase them down.
Decisive Period in the Second Half
A brief but pivotal phase made the difference, following a tight first half that was contested closely. What was so notable after they took a 3-1 lead was how comfortable the closing stages of the game was for the Tynecastle team. Alexandros Kyziridis doubled the lead, moving infield before firing a powerful effort past the motionless the Celtic keeper. More joy followed in the stands, the Celtic defender fouling Cláudio Braga for a penalty that Lawrence Shankland tucked away. Rodgers looked dejected; he hardly has his troubles to seek.
The crowd erupted after Alexandros Kyziridis (second right) gives Hearts the lead against Celtic.
The Visitors' Fightback
Celtic had actually recovered well from an early setback. The defender, who struggled throughout, turned the ball into his own net due to panic when trying to deal with a ball into the box. They gradually fought back into the game, the captain McGregor, finishing a Kieran Tierney pull-back for the equaliser.
Solid Backline
The shot-stopper Alexander Schwolow, who had made a brilliant stop from Nygren in the first half, blocked an Engels shot which touched Tómas Magnússon. Craig Halkett stopped a Shin Yamada attempt in added time. The hosts faced little else as the clock ticked down. “We stand firm” has become the Tynecastle verse of choice at the ground. One cannot overlook the buzz.
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