The Jambos Push 8 Points Ahead Ahead at the Summit After Lawrence Shankland's Spot-Kick Defeats Celtic

A historic moment didn't occur at Tynecastle Park, with it being far too early for such achievements. This game highlighted is that Hearts have a genuine strong chance of ending Scottish football's long-standing stranglehold. That advantage stands at eight points for Hearts over the visitors, whom they comfortably swatted aside. Try to chase them down.

Turning Point in the After the Break

Three second-half minutes made the difference, after an opening period that was fiercely fought. It was remarkable after they extended their advantage was how stress-free the closing stages of the game was for the home side. Alexandros Kyziridis doubled the lead, cutting in from the left before firing a powerful effort past the static Kasper Schmeichel. Delight increased in the stands, Murray bringing down the Hearts player for a spot-kick that Shankland converted. Brendan Rodgers looked dejected; challenges abound for him.

Fans start to rejoice after Kyziridis (second right) scores to make it 2-1 against Celtic.

Celtic's Response

Celtic bounced back from an early setback. The defender, who endured a torrid afternoon, conceded an own goal due to confusion when trying to remove a ball into the box. They gradually fought back into the game, skipper McGregor, scoring a Kieran Tierney cutback for 1-1.

Hearts' Defensive Resilience

The shot-stopper Alexander Schwolow, who had made a brilliant stop from Nygren in the first half, kept out an Arne Engels shot which flicked off Tómas Magnússon. Craig Halkett blocked a Shin Yamada attempt in the dying moments. Hearts were otherwise untroubled as the clock ticked down. “We remain resolute” has become the favoured chant at the ground. It's hard to ignore the buzz.