The Tynecastle side Extend 8 Points Ahead at the Pinnacle After Shankland's Spot-Kick Sees Off The Glasgow Giants

We did not witness at their home ground, with it being far too early for such milestones. What this match did emphasise is that the Edinburgh club possess a real serious opportunity of disrupting Scottish football's 40-year dominance by two. Make that an eight-point lead for the team over the visitors, whom they easily dispatched. The challenge is now for others.

Turning Point in the Latter Period

A brief but pivotal phase made the difference, once the initial exchanges that was evenly matched. It was remarkable after Hearts surged 3-1 in front was how stress-free the remainder of the game was for the home side. The Greek winger scored Hearts’ second, drifting inside before blasting a strike past the motionless Kasper Schmeichel. Soon there was further euphoria in the stands, the Celtic defender fouling Braga for a penalty that the captain converted. Brendan Rodgers looked dejected; his problems are mounting.

Fans start to rejoice after Kyziridis (second right) puts Hearts 2-1 up against Celtic.

Celtic's Response

Celtic bounced back from the hosts' quick opening. Dane Murray, who struggled throughout, turned the ball into his own net due to confusion when trying to remove a delivery from Shankland. The Hoops worked their way into the game, leader McGregor, turning home a Tierney cutback for the equaliser.

Stubborn Defence

The shot-stopper Schwolow, who had saved superbly from Benjamin Nygren in the first half, kept out an Engels shot which flicked off Tómas Magnússon. Halkett blocked a Yamada attempt in the dying moments. The hosts faced little else as the clock ticked down. “We remain resolute” has become the favoured chant at the ground. It's hard to ignore the excitement.

• Complete analysis to follow.