Hearts Push Eight Points Clear in Front at Top Following Lawrence Shankland's Penalty Overcomes The Glasgow Giants
We did not witness at Tynecastle, since it's far too early for such achievements. What this match did emphasise is that Hearts possess a real credible shot of ending Scottish football's long-standing stranglehold. They now lead by eight points for the maroon side over Celtic, whom they comfortably swatted aside. Try to chase them down.
Decisive Period in the Latter Period
A brief but pivotal phase made the difference, after an opening period that was fiercely fought. It was remarkable after they extended their advantage was how comfortable the closing stages of the game was for the home side. Alexandros Kyziridis scored Hearts’ second, drifting inside before blasting a strike past the motionless the goalkeeper. Delight increased in the stands, the Celtic defender upending Cláudio Braga for a penalty that Lawrence Shankland converted. The Celtic manager looked dejected; challenges abound for him.
Fans start to rejoice after Kyziridis (second right) puts Hearts 2-1 up against the opposition.
The Visitors' Fightback
Celtic had actually recovered well from the hosts' quick opening. The defender, who had a difficult day, scored an own goal due to panic when trying to deal with a delivery from Shankland. Celtic edged their way back into the game, the captain McGregor, finishing a Tierney pull-back for the equaliser.
Hearts' Defensive Resilience
The Hearts goalkeeper Alexander Schwolow, who had denied from Nygren in the first half, kept out an Engels shot which flicked off Tómas Magnússon. Craig Halkett stopped a Yamada attempt in added time. They comfortably saw out the game as the minutes passed. “We stand firm” has become the popular anthem at the stadium. One cannot overlook the noise.
- Full report to follow.
