A historic moment didn't occur at Tynecastle, since it's far too early for such milestones. What this match did emphasise is that Heart of Midlothian are at least in with serious opportunity of disrupting Scottish football's 40-year dominance by two. That advantage stands at eight points for the maroon side over their rivals, whom they easily dispatched. Catch them if you can.
Three second-half minutes made the difference, following a tight first half that was evenly matched. The striking aspect after they extended their advantage was how untroubled the closing stages of the game was for the hosts. Alexandros Kyziridis doubled the lead, cutting in from the left before thumping a right-footed shot past the motionless the Celtic keeper. More joy followed in the stands, the Celtic defender fouling Braga for a foul that the captain tucked away. Brendan Rodgers appeared frustrated; his problems are mounting.
Fans start to rejoice after Kyziridis (second right) puts Hearts 2-1 up against Celtic.
Celtic bounced back from the hosts' quick opening. Dane Murray, who endured a torrid afternoon, scored an own goal due to confusion when trying to deal with a delivery from Shankland. The Hoops worked their way into the game, skipper Callum McGregor, scoring a Tierney pull-back for level terms.
The keeper Schwolow, who had made a brilliant stop from Nygren in the first half, blocked an Engels shot which flicked off Tómas Magnússon. Craig Halkett stopped a Yamada attempt in stoppage time. They comfortably saw out the game as the clock ticked down. “We remain resolute” has become the Tynecastle verse of choice at the ground. It is becoming increasingly difficult the noise.
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