We did not witness at their home ground, with it being far too early for such achievements. What this match did emphasise is that Hearts have a genuine strong chance of disrupting Scottish football's 40-year title duopoly. Make that an eight-point lead for the maroon side over their rivals, whom they decisively beat. The challenge is now for others.
Three second-half minutes were key, following a tight first half that was contested closely. What was so notable after they took a 3-1 lead was how untroubled the remainder of the game was for the Tynecastle team. The Greek winger doubled the lead, drifting inside before blasting a strike past the motionless the goalkeeper. Delight increased in the stands, Dane Murray bringing down the Hearts player for a foul that Lawrence Shankland converted. Brendan Rodgers cut such a disconsolate figure; he hardly has his troubles to seek.
Fans start to rejoice after Alexandros Kyziridis (second right) puts Hearts 2-1 up against Celtic.
Celtic bounced back from an early setback. Murray, who struggled throughout, turned the ball into his own net due to confusion when trying to remove a delivery from Shankland. The Hoops worked their way into the game, the captain Callum McGregor, turning home a Tierney pass for level terms.
The shot-stopper Alexander Schwolow, who had saved superbly from Nygren in the first half, parried an Engels shot which touched Tómas Magnússon. Craig Halkett stopped a Yamada attempt in added time. Hearts were otherwise untroubled as the minutes passed. “We remain resolute” has become the favoured chant at the stadium. It's hard to ignore the excitement.
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Chad Watts
Chad Watts