🔗 Share this article Hearts Extend Eight Points Clear Clear at the Summit After Lawrence Shankland's Penalty Overcomes The Hoops We did not witness at Tynecastle, with it being far too early for such milestones. This game highlighted is that Heart of Midlothian possess a real credible shot of disrupting Scottish football's long-standing stranglehold. They now lead by eight points for Hearts over the visitors, whom they comfortably swatted aside. Catch them if you can. Turning Point in the After the Break A brief but pivotal phase were key, following a tight first half that was fiercely fought. What was so notable after they took a 3-1 lead was how untroubled the rest of the game was for the hosts. The Greek winger doubled the lead, moving infield before firing a powerful effort past the static the goalkeeper. More joy followed in the stands, the Celtic defender fouling Cláudio Braga for a spot-kick that Shankland converted. Brendan Rodgers looked dejected; his problems are mounting. Fans start to rejoice after Alexandros Kyziridis (second right) scores to make it 2-1 against the opposition. Hoops' Reaction The away side responded positively from the hosts' quick opening. Dane Murray, who had a difficult day, scored an own goal due to confusion when trying to remove a ball into the box. The Hoops worked their way into the game, the captain Callum McGregor, finishing a Tierney pull-back for level terms. Stubborn Defence The shot-stopper Schwolow, who had made a brilliant stop from Benjamin Nygren in the first half, kept out an Engels shot which flicked off Tómas Magnússon. Halkett stopped a Yamada attempt in stoppage time. They comfortably saw out the game as the clock ticked down. “We stand firm” has become the favoured chant at the stadium. One cannot overlook the noise. Detailed coverage coming soon.