Hearts Extend 8 Points in Front at the Pinnacle 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. The encounter underlined is that Heart of Midlothian are at least in with serious opportunity of ending Scottish football's long-standing title duopoly. That advantage stands at eight points for the team over their rivals, whom they easily dispatched. Catch them if you can.

Turning Point in the Latter Period

Three second-half minutes were key, after an opening period 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. Kyziridis scored Hearts’ second, cutting in from the left before blasting a strike past the static Kasper Schmeichel. Delight increased in the stands, the Celtic defender bringing down Braga for a spot-kick that the captain converted. Brendan Rodgers looked dejected; he hardly has his troubles to seek.

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

The Visitors' Fightback

Celtic bounced back from Hearts’ rapid start. Murray, who endured a torrid afternoon, scored an own goal due to haste when trying to remove a Shankland cross. Celtic edged their way back into the game, leader McGregor, turning home a Tierney cutback for level terms.

Solid Backline

The keeper Alexander Schwolow, who had denied from Benjamin Nygren in the first half, kept out an Arne Engels shot which deflected off Tómas Magnússon. Craig Halkett blocked a Shin Yamada attempt in the dying moments. The hosts faced little else as the minutes passed. “We stand firm” has become the popular anthem at the stadium. It's hard to ignore the buzz.

• Complete analysis to follow.