Hearts Push 8 Points Ahead Clear at the Pinnacle After Lawrence Shankland's Penalty Defeats The Glasgow Giants

History wasn't made at Tynecastle, with it being far too early for such milestones. What this match did emphasise is that Heart of Midlothian possess a real strong chance of breaking Scottish football's 40-year dominance by two. Make that an eight-point lead for Hearts over their rivals, whom they comfortably swatted aside. Catch them if you can.

Turning Point in the Latter Period

Three second-half minutes were key, once the initial exchanges that was evenly matched. What was so notable after they took a 3-1 lead was how untroubled the remainder of the game was for the home side. Alexandros Kyziridis netted the second goal, moving infield before blasting a strike past the static Kasper Schmeichel. Delight increased in the stands, the Celtic defender bringing down Cláudio Braga for a foul that Shankland tucked away. Brendan Rodgers looked dejected; he hardly has his troubles to seek.

The crowd erupted after Kyziridis (second right) gives Hearts the lead against the opposition.

Hoops' Reaction

The away side responded positively from Hearts’ rapid start. Dane Murray, who had a difficult day, scored an own goal due to confusion when trying to deal with a delivery from Shankland. The Hoops worked their way into the game, the captain Callum McGregor, scoring a Tierney pass for level terms.

Hearts' Defensive Resilience

The Hearts goalkeeper Alexander Schwolow, who had denied from Nygren in the first half, blocked an Arne Engels shot which touched Magnússon. Halkett thwarted a Shin Yamada attempt in stoppage time. The hosts faced little else as the clock ticked down. “We stand firm” has become the favoured chant at Tynecastle. It's hard to ignore the buzz.

• Full report coming soon.