Hearts Push Eight Points Ahead Clear at the Pinnacle Following Lawrence Shankland's Penalty Defeats The Hoops

History wasn't made at Tynecastle Park, since it's far too early for such achievements. What this match did emphasise is that Heart of Midlothian possess a real serious opportunity of disrupting Scottish football's long-standing dominance by two. That advantage stands at eight points for Hearts over Celtic, whom they comfortably swatted aside. The challenge is now for others.

Decisive Period in the Second Half

Three second-half minutes made the difference, following a tight first half that was evenly matched. What was so notable after they took a 3-1 lead was how comfortable the remainder of the game was for the home side. The Greek winger scored Hearts’ second, moving infield before blasting a strike past the stationary the goalkeeper. Soon there was further euphoria in the stands, Murray upending Braga for a penalty that Shankland slotted home. Brendan Rodgers looked dejected; his problems are mounting.

The crowd erupted after Alexandros Kyziridis (second right) scores to make it 2-1 against the opposition.

The Visitors' Fightback

Celtic bounced back from Hearts’ rapid start. Dane Murray, who endured a torrid afternoon, scored an own goal due to confusion when trying to remove a ball into the box. Celtic edged their way back into the game, leader Callum McGregor, turning home a Kieran Tierney pass for level terms.

Hearts' Defensive Resilience

The keeper Alexander Schwolow, who had made a brilliant stop from Benjamin Nygren in the first half, blocked an Engels shot which touched Tómas Magnússon. Halkett blocked a Yamada attempt in the dying moments. They comfortably saw out the game as the clock ticked down. “We stand firm” has become the Tynecastle verse of choice at the ground. One cannot overlook the buzz.

• Full report to follow.