JAMBOS PACKING A REAL PUNCH IN FIGHT FOR TITLE

HEARTS’ dream start to the season continued with an exhilarating 3-1 win over beleaguered champions Celtic yesterday lunchtime that launched them eight points clear at the top of the Premiership.

- BY ANTHONY BROWN

All eyes were on Derek McInnes' Jambos to see if they could handle the growing expectations and pressure of having the opportunity to open up the type of lead not previously enjoyed by any side outside Glasgow during the past four decades of Old Firm domination.

And Hearts - with minority investor Tony Bloom watching from the main stand - duly delivered with a statement victory over Brendan Rodgers' injury-hit and misfiring Hoops side.

The hosts took the lead through an early Dane Murray own goal and then overcame the swift concession of an equaliser, scored by Callum McGregor, to claim a jubilantly celebrated victory through goals from Alexandros Kyziridis and then Lawrence Shankland early in the second half.

Hearts - buoyed by a five-game winning streak - sent out the same XI that had started every game of that successful run.

Celtic were forced into three changes from last Thursday's Europa League win over Sturm Graz, with injured Alistair Johnston, Cameron Carter-Vickers and Kelechi Iheanacho replaced by Colby Donovan, Murray and Johnny Kenny, who had made just 10 previous starts for the Hoops first team between them.

McInnes had urged the Hearts support to make Tynecastle as “hostile and noisy as possible” and he would have been delighted with the way his side started amid a pumped-up Gorgie atmosphere.

With Celtic looking rattled in the opening exchanges, the hosts made their early superiority count in the eighth minute.

Stephen Kingsley’s cross from the left was nodded back in by Shankland for Claudio Braga, whose header was clawed on to the post by Kasper Schmeichel.