Hearts Move Eight Points Ahead in Front at the Pinnacle Following Lawrence Shankland's Penalty Kick Defeats The Glasgow Giants
We did not witness at Tynecastle, as it's far too early for such milestones. The encounter underlined is that Heart of Midlothian have a genuine serious opportunity of breaking Scottish football's long-standing dominance by two. They now lead by eight points for the maroon side over Celtic, whom they easily dispatched. Try to chase them down.
Decisive Period in the After the Break
Three second-half minutes were key, after an opening period 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 netted the second goal, moving infield before thumping a right-footed shot past the static Kasper Schmeichel. Soon there was further euphoria in the stands, Murray bringing down Braga for a foul that the captain converted. Brendan Rodgers appeared frustrated; he hardly has his troubles to seek.
Supporters began celebrating after Kyziridis (second right) gives Hearts the lead against Celtic.
The Visitors' Fightback
Celtic bounced back from an early setback. Dane Murray, who struggled throughout, scored an own goal due to haste when trying to deal with a ball into the box. The Hoops worked their way into the game, skipper Callum McGregor, finishing a Kieran Tierney pass for level terms.
Solid Backline
The Hearts goalkeeper Alexander Schwolow, who had denied from Benjamin Nygren in the first half, kept out an Engels shot which deflected off Magnússon. Craig Halkett stopped a Yamada attempt in added time. They comfortably saw out the game as the clock ticked down. “We shall not be moved” has become the popular anthem at the stadium. It's hard to ignore the excitement.
- Detailed coverage coming soon.
