The Tynecastle side Extend Eight Points Ahead in Front at the Pinnacle Following Lawrence Shankland's Penalty Defeats The Hoops
We did not witness at Tynecastle Park, as it's far too early for such landmarks. The encounter underlined is that Heart of Midlothian are at least in with strong chance of disrupting Scottish football's four decade-long title duopoly. Make that an eight-point lead for Hearts over the visitors, whom they easily dispatched. Catch them if you can.
Decisive Period in the After the Break
Three second-half minutes were key, following a tight first half that was fiercely fought. It was remarkable after they took a 3-1 lead was how comfortable the rest of the game was for the home side. Kyziridis doubled the lead, drifting inside before firing a powerful effort past the static the goalkeeper. More joy followed in the stands, Dane Murray fouling Cláudio Braga for a spot-kick that Shankland converted. Rodgers cut such a disconsolate figure; his problems are mounting.
Fans start to rejoice after Alexandros Kyziridis (second right) scores to make it 2-1 against the opposition.
Celtic's Response
Celtic bounced back from the hosts' quick opening. Dane Murray, 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, leader Callum McGregor, scoring a Kieran Tierney pull-back for the equaliser.
Hearts' Defensive Resilience
The shot-stopper Alexander Schwolow, who had made a brilliant stop from Benjamin Nygren in the first half, kept out an Engels shot which touched Tómas Magnússon. Halkett blocked a Shin Yamada attempt in the dying moments. The hosts faced little else as the clock ticked down. “We stand firm” has become the popular anthem at the ground. It is becoming increasingly difficult the noise.
- Detailed coverage coming soon.
