In a highly eventful cinch Premiership match at Tynecastle, Hearts took advantage of Yang Hyun-jun’s early red card to secure a 2-0 victory over title contenders Celtic for the second time in three months.
The guests reached Edinburgh with the understanding that a win would put them in first place in the league again, following Rangers’ unexpected 2-1 defeat to Motherwell at home on Saturday.
However, their aspirations of accomplishing this accomplishment were significantly hindered in the first 15 minutes, when Adam Idah failed to convert a penalty against Zander Clark and Yang was sent off for a reckless high challenge on Alex Cochrane.
Hearts capitalized on their one-man advantage, earning a victory over Brendan Rodgers’ team in Glasgow back in December. Jorge Grant scored a penalty just before halftime and Lawrence Shankland added his 27th goal of the season, impressing Scotland manager Steve Clarke who was in attendance. This win gives the home team a 13 point lead in third place.
The game began strongly for Hearts, and in the eighth minute they had a promising opportunity. Shankland delivered a cross from the right that found Cochrane within the box, but the left wing-back’s shot was poorly executed and missed wide of the target.
Later on, there were two crucial instances where Celtic’s actions greatly benefited the opposing team. In the 11th minute, the Hoops were given a penalty after Yang was fouled by Cochrane, but Idah’s attempt was stopped by Clark’s legs.
Yang and Cochrane were both involved in the following heated moment just a few moments after, as the Korean midfielder unintentionally kicked the Englishman in the face with his foot. The referee, Don Robertson, initially gave the Celtic player a yellow card but upon reviewing the incident with the help of VAR, John Beaton, he changed it to a red card and used the pitchside monitor to make his decision.
Celtic had the opportunity to score in the 22nd minute, even with one player less, as Pablo Bernardo’s shot hit both posts and went into the net. However, the flag was raised due to Idah being in an offside position during the play, cancelling out the celebration.
Unfortunately, Hearts were unable to take advantage of their opportunity for a win. In the 27th minute, Alan Forrest missed a header from a cross by Dexter Lembikisa, and shortly after, Shankland’s goal was stopped by Liam Scales’ well-timed defense.
In the 40th minute, Hearts received another significant decision when, after a long VAR examination, they were given a penalty for the ball making contact with Tomoki Iwata’s arm as he jumped in a crowded box to clear it. Grant remained composed and scored, sending Joe Hart in the opposite direction.
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Heart believed they had increased their advantage in the closing moments of the first half when Shankland scored from inside the box, receiving a pass from Forrest. However, the goal was disallowed due to an offside call after a lengthy review by the video assistant referee.
At the beginning of the second half, Celtic substituted Kyogo Furuhashi for Bernardo. However, in the 56th minute, the opposing team scored their second goal when Shankland confidently shot from 15 yards away, taking advantage of a slip by his teammate Calem Nieuwenhof. The ball deflected off Celtic’s Greg Taylor and landed back in Shankland’s path, making it easier for him to score.
The guests were not able to elicit a reaction and Hearts successfully secured a win in a remarkable manner, leading to joyous celebrations at Tynecastle after the game.
Source: theguardian.com
