The Tynecastle side Push 8 Points Ahead Ahead at the Summit Following Lawrence Shankland's Penalty Kick Sees Off Celtic
History wasn't made at their home ground, since it's far too early for such achievements. What this match did emphasise is that the Edinburgh club possess a real serious opportunity of disrupting Scottish football's 40-year title duopoly. That advantage stands at eight points for Hearts over their rivals, whom they easily dispatched. The challenge is now for others.
Turning Point in the Second Half
A brief but pivotal phase were key, after an opening period that was evenly matched. What was so notable after they extended their advantage was how untroubled the remainder of the game was for the home side. Alexandros Kyziridis scored Hearts’ second, drifting inside before blasting a strike past the stationary Kasper Schmeichel. Delight increased in the stands, Murray fouling Cláudio Braga for a spot-kick that the captain converted. The Celtic manager appeared frustrated; challenges abound for him.
Fans start to rejoice after Alexandros Kyziridis (second right) scores to make it 2-1 against Celtic.
Celtic's Response
Celtic bounced back from the hosts' quick opening. The defender, who struggled throughout, turned the ball into his own net due to haste when trying to remove a delivery from Shankland. Celtic edged their way back into the game, the captain McGregor, scoring a Tierney cutback for 1-1.
Stubborn Defence
The Hearts goalkeeper Alexander Schwolow, who had made a brilliant stop from Benjamin Nygren in the first half, kept out an Arne Engels shot which deflected off Tómas Magnússon. Craig Halkett stopped a Yamada attempt in stoppage time. They comfortably saw out the game as the clock ticked down. “We shall not be moved” has become the popular anthem at the ground. It's hard to ignore the noise.
- Full report to follow.