Hearts Move Eight Points Clear in Front at the Summit Following Shankland's Penalty Kick Sees Off The Glasgow Giants
History wasn't made at Tynecastle, since it's far too early for such milestones. The encounter underlined is that Heart of Midlothian possess a real credible shot of ending Scottish football's 40-year stranglehold. They now lead by eight points for Hearts over their rivals, whom they easily dispatched. The challenge is now for others.
Key Moments in the Second Half
A brief but pivotal phase proved decisive, following a tight first half that was evenly matched. The striking aspect after they took a 3-1 lead was how stress-free the remainder of the game was for the Tynecastle team. The Greek winger scored Hearts’ second, drifting inside before blasting a strike past the motionless Kasper Schmeichel. Delight increased in the stands, Murray bringing down Braga for a penalty that Lawrence Shankland tucked away. Rodgers appeared frustrated; he hardly has his troubles to seek.
Fans start to rejoice after Kyziridis (second right) puts Hearts 2-1 up against Celtic.
The Visitors' Fightback
Celtic bounced back from the hosts' quick opening. Murray, who struggled throughout, turned the ball into his own net due to confusion when trying to deal with a ball into the box. The Hoops worked their way into the game, leader McGregor, turning home a Kieran Tierney cutback for the equaliser.
Stubborn Defence
The shot-stopper Alexander Schwolow, who had made a brilliant stop from Nygren in the first half, parried an Arne Engels shot which deflected off Tómas Magnússon. Halkett stopped a Yamada attempt in stoppage time. The hosts faced little else as the game concluded. “We shall not be moved” has become the Tynecastle verse of choice at the ground. It's hard to ignore the buzz.
- Complete analysis coming soon.