The Tynecastle side Extend Eight Points Ahead at the Summit After Lawrence Shankland's Penalty Sees Off The Glasgow Giants

History wasn't made at their home ground, as it's far too early for such milestones. The encounter underlined is that the Edinburgh club have a genuine serious opportunity of breaking Scottish football's long-standing title duopoly. That advantage stands at eight points for the team over their rivals, whom they decisively beat. Try to chase them down.

Turning Point in the After the Break

A brief but pivotal phase proved decisive, following a tight first half that was evenly matched. It was remarkable after they extended their advantage was how comfortable the remainder of the game was for the Tynecastle team. Alexandros Kyziridis doubled the lead, moving infield before firing a powerful effort past the motionless the goalkeeper. Soon there was further euphoria in the stands, Murray fouling the Hearts player for a foul that the captain converted. The Celtic manager looked dejected; challenges abound for him.

Supporters began celebrating after Alexandros Kyziridis (second right) scores to make it 2-1 against Celtic.

The Visitors' Fightback

Celtic had actually recovered well from the hosts' quick opening. Murray, who had a difficult day, scored an own goal due to haste when trying to clear a delivery from Shankland. They gradually fought back into the game, skipper McGregor, finishing a Kieran Tierney pass for 1-1.

Stubborn Defence

The Hearts goalkeeper Schwolow, who had saved superbly from Nygren in the first half, parried an Engels shot which touched Tómas Magnússon. Halkett stopped a Yamada attempt in added time. They comfortably saw out the game as the clock ticked down. “We stand firm” has become the Tynecastle verse of choice at the ground. It's hard to ignore the buzz.