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History wasn't made at Tynecastle, with it being far too early for such landmarks. What this match did emphasise is that the Edinburgh club possess a real serious opportunity of breaking Scottish football's 40-year title duopoly. That advantage stands at eight points for Hearts over their rivals, whom they comfortably swatted aside. Catch them if you can.

Decisive Period in the After the Break

Three second-half minutes proved decisive, after an opening period that was evenly matched. What was so notable after Hearts surged 3-1 in front was how untroubled the rest of the game was for the home side. Alexandros Kyziridis doubled the lead, drifting inside before firing a powerful effort past the static Kasper Schmeichel. Delight increased in the stands, Dane Murray upending Cláudio Braga for a spot-kick that Lawrence Shankland slotted home. The Celtic manager appeared frustrated; he hardly has his troubles to seek.

The crowd erupted after Alexandros 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, conceded an own goal due to confusion when trying to remove a delivery from Shankland. They gradually fought back into the game, the captain Callum McGregor, scoring a Kieran Tierney cutback for level terms.

Stubborn Defence

The Hearts goalkeeper Schwolow, who had saved superbly from Nygren in the first half, parried an Engels shot which flicked off Magnússon. Craig Halkett blocked a Shin Yamada attempt in added time. They comfortably saw out the game as the clock ticked down. “We remain resolute” has become the Tynecastle verse of choice at the stadium. One cannot overlook the buzz.

• Full report to follow.