The Jambos Push Eight Points Ahead at the Pinnacle After Shankland's Spot-Kick Sees Off The Glasgow Giants
We did not witness at Tynecastle Park, since it's far too early for such landmarks. The encounter underlined is that the Edinburgh club are at least in with credible shot of ending Scottish football's four decade-long dominance by two. Make that an eight-point lead for Hearts over Celtic, whom they comfortably swatted aside. Try to chase them down.
Decisive Period in the Second Half
A brief but pivotal phase made the difference, following a tight first half that was evenly matched. What was so notable after they extended their advantage was how comfortable the closing stages of the game was for the Tynecastle team. Kyziridis netted the second goal, drifting inside before firing a powerful effort past the motionless the goalkeeper. Soon there was further euphoria in the stands, the Celtic defender upending Cláudio Braga for a spot-kick that Shankland tucked away. Brendan Rodgers cut such a disconsolate figure; he hardly has his troubles to seek.
Fans start to rejoice after Alexandros Kyziridis (second right) scores to make it 2-1 against the opposition.
Hoops' Reaction
Celtic bounced back from an early setback. The defender, who endured a torrid afternoon, scored an own goal due to confusion when trying to remove a delivery from Shankland. They gradually fought back into the game, skipper Callum McGregor, scoring a Kieran Tierney cutback for level terms.
Stubborn Defence
The shot-stopper Alexander Schwolow, who had saved superbly from Benjamin Nygren in the first half, parried an Arne Engels shot which touched Magnússon. Craig Halkett blocked a Yamada attempt in added time. 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.
- Complete analysis to follow.
