The Jambos Move 8 Points Ahead Clear at the Pinnacle Following Shankland's Spot-Kick Defeats The Glasgow Giants
History wasn't made at Tynecastle, with it being far too early for such landmarks. The encounter underlined is that the Edinburgh club possess a real serious opportunity of ending Scottish football's long-standing dominance by two. They now lead by eight points for the maroon side over Celtic, whom they easily dispatched. The challenge is now for others.
Decisive Period in the Latter Period
A brief but pivotal phase proved decisive, following a tight first half that was fiercely fought. The striking aspect after they extended their advantage was how stress-free the closing stages of the game was for the Tynecastle team. The Greek winger scored Hearts’ second, cutting in from the left before blasting a strike past the static the Celtic keeper. Soon there was further euphoria in the stands, the Celtic defender bringing down Cláudio Braga for a penalty that the captain tucked away. Rodgers appeared frustrated; he hardly has his troubles to seek.
The crowd erupted after Kyziridis (second right) scores to make it 2-1 against the opposition.
Hoops' Reaction
Celtic had actually recovered well from Hearts’ rapid start. Dane Murray, who had a difficult day, turned the ball into his own net due to haste when trying to clear a ball into the box. The Hoops worked their way into the game, leader Callum McGregor, scoring a Kieran Tierney cutback for the equaliser.
Solid Backline
The keeper Schwolow, who had saved superbly from Nygren in the first half, kept out an Engels shot which flicked off Magnússon. Halkett thwarted a Shin Yamada attempt in added time. They comfortably saw out the game as the clock ticked down. “We remain resolute” has become the popular anthem at Tynecastle. It is becoming increasingly difficult the noise.
- Full report to follow.
