“There is No Pressure” – Alexandros Kyziridis
Hearts’ Alexandros Kyziridis insists him and his teammates are taking things a game at a time, as the Jambos extended their lead on Celtic to eight points yesterday. The Greek winger netted his side’s second in a 3-1 win over the defending champions, with a Dane Murray own goal and a Lawrence Shankland penalty also helping the Edinburgh side on their way. But Kyziridis was keen to play down any title talk just yet. “[I feel] amazing. Lots of feelings, but just for today. Tomorrow we need to be focused on our Wednesday game” he said post match. “I don’t want to talk about that [title bid], it was just a game. So many games are left, so we just need to be focussed on every game, game by game.” The summer recruit’s fifth goal of the season comes days after him and his wife introduced their newborn son to the world. “By far the best week of my life. It [preparation] was hard for me, but I will need to get used to it. “I sleep well, thanks to my wife! She looks for him, while I sleep, so I sleep well, thanks to her.” Impressive strikes from outside the box are becoming a calling card for 25 year-old, but he believes this group of players won’t be getting carried away with their fine start just yet. “There is no pressure. We are enjoying it and we have to continue like this. “For us, it’s important to see it game by game. We don’t want to see what happens in the future, no one knows. We just need to be humble and do our job, and this is what I will do.” Kyziridis is yet to be capped for the Greece national side, but the Hearts fan-favourite is eager to change this. “It’s one of my targets, for sure. “It’s a honour to play for your national team, I’m waiting and if they need me, I will be there, and I know that we play against Scotland!” Hearts travel to St. Mirren on Wednesday as they hope to maintain their unbeaten start to the league season, with the Paisley side the only team to defeat them domestically this campaign when they dumped them from the Premier Sports Cup in August.
Hearts Go Eight Clear After Victory Over Celtic
Hearts 3-1 Celtic Murray (O.G) (8′), McGregor (12′) Kyziridis (51′) Shankland (pen) (54′) Hearts title challenge gained some serious credibility after a statement 3-1 victory over current holders Celtic at Tynecastle. An early opener courtesy of a Dane Murray own goal was quickly cancelled out by Callum McGregor, before a second half strike from Alexandros Kyziridis and a Lawrence Shankland penalty sparked chants of ‘we shall not be moved’ around Gorgie. The result moves the maroon side of Edinburgh eight points clear of Celtic, with a chance to make it eleven on Saturday, provided both sides win midweek, due to Celtic playing in the Premier Sports Cup semi-final. The home side got off to a flyer eight minutes in when Dane Murray booted the ball into his own goal. Alexandros Kyziridis’s ball was headed back across for Claudio Braga, who forced a terrific save from Kasper Schmeichel. The rebound was followed up on by Hearts captain Shankland, going as far as young Murray, who’s botched clearance nearly burst the net. Despite it being early, there was a sense that a Hearts opener was looming. The champions responded in typical fashion however just four minutes later, with skipper Callum McGregor finding the bottom right corner from close range. The Celtic midfielder was picked out by Tunisian winger Kieran Tierney, before rolling home the equaliser. Hearts were nearly put back in front just after the half hour mark by another own goal from another Celtic academy graduate. Dane Murray done well to initially defend a Kyziridis ball in, but his clearance ricocheted off Colby Donovan and came agonisingly close to nestling into the bottom right corner. Benjamin Nygren had Celtic’s best opportunity to take the lead 38 minutes in. Reo Hatate done well to intercept a loose ball from Hearts ‘keeper Alexander Schwolow, but he more than made up for it when he denied the Swede inside the six-yard box with an incredible save at the end of a Hoops move. Tynecastle would soon be rocking just five minutes after the restart. Kyziridis picked the ball up from the left wing, and was afforded too much room as he rifled one into Schmeichel’s bottom left corner from the edge of the box to net his fifth goal of the season. And the Hearts had barely had a chance to catch their breath back before referee Steven McLean awarded the Jambos a spot kick. Dane Murray’s clumsy challenge on Claudio Braga gave Lawrence Shankland the chance to mark his 150th Hearts appearance with a goal, and the striker made no mistake in finding the bottom left corner despite Schmeichel guessing the correct way. Hearts had a massive chance to put the cherry on top with 15 minutes to go. Shankland sparked a counter-attack after beating Liam Scales and finding Claudio Braga. The Portuguese winger put Ague through, but the Brazilian put his effort straight at Schmeichel on his Tynecastle debut. Hearts remain the only side unbeaten in the Scottish Premiership, and have beaten both sides of Glasgow already. Their title challenge goes full steam ahead towards Paisley as they take on St. Mirren for the first time since the Buddies dumped them out the Premier Sports Cup on Wednesday. As for Celtic, they will be eager to get back to winning ways when they host Falkirk also for the first time since eliminating them from the League Cup before gearing up for the same competition’s semi-final with Rangers on Sunday. HEARTS: Schwolow 5, Kingsley 6 (McCart 90’ 1), Findlay 7, Halkett 6, McEntee 5 (Steinwender 70’2), Kyziridis 8 (Ague 70’ 1), Baningime 7, Devlin 6, Milne 6, Shankland 6 (Kabangu 90’ 1), Braga 6 (Magnusson 80’1) CELTIC: Schmeichel 4, Donovan 5, Murray 3, Scales 4, Tierney 5, Engels 4, McGregor 6, Hatate 4 (Forrest 59’ 2), Nygren 4 (McCowan 70’2), Kenny 3 (Yamada 59’2), Tounekti 6 (Balikwisha 59’ 2)
