The Tynecastle side Extend 8 Points Ahead in Front at the Summit Following Lawrence Shankland's Spot-Kick Overcomes The Hoops

History wasn't made at Tynecastle Park, as it's far too early for such milestones. This game highlighted is that Hearts possess a real credible shot of breaking Scottish football's 40-year title duopoly. That advantage stands at eight points for the team over their rivals, whom they comfortably swatted aside. Try to chase them down.

Turning Point in the Second Half

A brief but pivotal phase were key, after an opening period that was contested closely. What was so notable after they took a 3-1 lead was how stress-free the closing stages of the game was for the hosts. Kyziridis scored Hearts’ second, moving infield before blasting a strike past the stationary Kasper Schmeichel. More joy followed in the stands, Dane Murray fouling the Hearts player for a foul that Shankland tucked away. Rodgers looked dejected; challenges abound for him.

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

The Visitors' Fightback

Celtic had actually recovered well from an early setback. The defender, who endured a torrid afternoon, turned the ball into his own net due to confusion when trying to deal with a delivery from Shankland. Celtic edged their way back into the game, leader McGregor, scoring a Kieran Tierney pull-back for the equaliser.

Stubborn Defence

The keeper Alexander Schwolow, who had made a brilliant stop from Benjamin Nygren in the first half, parried an Arne Engels shot which flicked off Tómas Magnússon. Craig Halkett thwarted a Shin Yamada attempt in added time. The hosts faced little else as the minutes passed. “We remain resolute” has become the Tynecastle verse of choice at the ground. It is becoming increasingly difficult the buzz.

• Full report to follow.