Hearts Move Eight Points in Front at Top Following Lawrence Shankland's Spot-Kick Sees Off The Glasgow Giants
We did not witness at their home ground, with it being far too early for such milestones. What this match did emphasise is that Heart of Midlothian possess a real serious opportunity of breaking Scottish football's 40-year dominance by two. They now lead by eight points for the maroon side over their rivals, whom they decisively beat. Catch them if you can.
Key Moments in the After the Break
Three second-half minutes proved decisive, once the initial exchanges that was contested closely. The striking aspect after Hearts surged 3-1 in front was how untroubled the rest of the game was for the hosts. The Greek winger doubled the lead, drifting inside before firing a powerful effort past the static the goalkeeper. Delight increased in the stands, Murray bringing down Cláudio Braga for a spot-kick that Shankland converted. The Celtic manager looked dejected; he hardly has his troubles to seek.
Fans start to rejoice after Alexandros Kyziridis (second right) scores to make it 2-1 against Celtic.
Hoops' Reaction
The away side responded positively from an early setback. Dane Murray, who struggled throughout, turned the ball into his own net due to confusion when trying to deal with a ball into the box. The Hoops worked their way into the game, leader McGregor, scoring a Kieran Tierney pull-back for 1-1.
Stubborn Defence
The shot-stopper Schwolow, who had denied from Nygren in the first half, blocked an Engels shot which deflected off Magnússon. Halkett thwarted a Shin Yamada attempt in stoppage time. They comfortably saw out the game as the minutes passed. “We remain resolute” has become the popular anthem at the stadium. It's hard to ignore the excitement.
- Complete analysis to follow.