The Jambos Move 8 Points Clear Ahead at the Summit Following Shankland's Penalty Defeats The Hoops
History wasn't made at their home ground, since it's far too early for such achievements. The encounter underlined is that Hearts have a genuine strong chance of disrupting Scottish football's long-standing title duopoly. Make that an eight-point lead for Hearts over Celtic, whom they easily dispatched. The challenge is now for others.
Key Moments in the Second Half
A crucial three-minute spell made the difference, after an opening period that was evenly matched. It was remarkable after they took a 3-1 lead was how untroubled the rest of the game was for the hosts. The Greek winger scored Hearts’ second, drifting inside before blasting a strike past the static the Celtic keeper. More joy followed in the stands, Dane Murray bringing down Cláudio Braga for a foul that the captain slotted home. Rodgers looked dejected; he hardly has his troubles to seek.
The crowd erupted after Kyziridis (second right) scores to make it 2-1 against Celtic.
The Visitors' Fightback
Celtic bounced back from an early setback. Murray, who struggled throughout, conceded an own goal due to confusion when trying to remove a delivery from Shankland. Celtic edged their way back into the game, the captain McGregor, turning home a Kieran Tierney pass for the equaliser.
Stubborn Defence
The Hearts goalkeeper Alexander Schwolow, who had saved superbly from Nygren in the first half, kept out an Engels shot which flicked off Magnússon. Halkett thwarted a Yamada attempt in the dying moments. They comfortably saw out the game as the clock ticked down. “We remain resolute” has become the popular anthem at the stadium. It's hard to ignore the buzz.
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