Hearts Extend 8 Points Ahead at the Pinnacle Following Lawrence Shankland's Spot-Kick Overcomes Celtic
We did not witness at their home ground, with it being far too early for such achievements. The encounter underlined is that Heart of Midlothian are at least in with serious opportunity of breaking Scottish football's long-standing dominance by two. Make that an eight-point lead for the team over the visitors, whom they easily dispatched. Try to chase them down.
Turning Point in the After the Break
Three second-half minutes made the difference, following a tight first half that was evenly matched. What was so notable after they took a 3-1 lead was how comfortable the remainder of the game was for the home side. The Greek winger doubled the lead, drifting inside before firing a powerful effort past the motionless Kasper Schmeichel. Soon there was further euphoria in the stands, Dane Murray fouling Cláudio Braga for a spot-kick that the captain slotted home. Rodgers appeared frustrated; his problems are mounting.
The crowd erupted after Alexandros Kyziridis (second right) puts Hearts 2-1 up against the opposition.
Celtic's Response
Celtic bounced back from Hearts’ rapid start. Murray, who struggled throughout, scored an own goal due to haste when trying to remove a delivery from Shankland. The Hoops worked their way into the game, leader Callum McGregor, turning home a Kieran Tierney pull-back for 1-1.
Hearts' Defensive Resilience
The shot-stopper Schwolow, who had saved superbly from Nygren in the first half, kept out an Arne Engels shot which flicked off Magnússon. Craig Halkett stopped a 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's hard to ignore the excitement.
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