Hearts Move 8 Points Clear in Front at Top Following Shankland's Penalty Kick Overcomes The Glasgow Giants
A historic moment didn't occur at Tynecastle Park, since it's far too early for such landmarks. What this match did emphasise is that Heart of Midlothian are at least in with serious opportunity of ending Scottish football's four decade-long title duopoly. Make that an eight-point lead for the team over Celtic, whom they easily dispatched. Catch them if you can.
Decisive Period in the After the Break
A brief but pivotal phase made the difference, following a tight first half that was fiercely fought. What was so notable after Hearts surged 3-1 in front was how comfortable the remainder of the game was for the Tynecastle team. Alexandros Kyziridis scored Hearts’ second, cutting in from the left before blasting a strike past the stationary the goalkeeper. Soon there was further euphoria in the stands, the Celtic defender bringing down the Hearts player for a penalty that Shankland converted. The Celtic manager looked dejected; his problems are mounting.
Fans start to rejoice after Kyziridis (second right) scores to make it 2-1 against the opposition.
Celtic's Response
Celtic had actually recovered well from Hearts’ rapid start. Murray, who struggled throughout, turned the ball into his own net due to confusion when trying to deal with a delivery from Shankland. They gradually fought back into the game, skipper McGregor, turning home a Kieran Tierney cutback for 1-1.
Solid Backline
The Hearts goalkeeper Schwolow, who had made a brilliant stop from Nygren in the first half, kept out an Engels shot which deflected off Tómas Magnússon. Halkett stopped a Shin Yamada attempt in stoppage time. Hearts were otherwise untroubled as the game concluded. “We remain resolute” has become the popular anthem at the stadium. One cannot overlook the noise.
- Complete analysis to follow.