SHANKS HITS BULLSEYE TO SILENCE HART
HEARTS hero Lawrence Shankland admits he copped stick from Joe Hart after passing up his penalty chance.
But the Hearts skipper showed Celtic’s stars he’d lost no bottle when his stylish finish beyond the keeper secured his side’s success.
Shankland scored from the spot against Hibs in midweek but when Steven Naismith’s side were awarded a penalty against the champions, Jorge Grant took the ball and did the job.
Hart had plenty to say prior to the kick-off and, when asked exactly what, Shankland said: “I don’t think I could say it!
“But no, he was having a bit of banter. He was clearly expecting me to take the penalty and had probably studied me all week.
“So it probably threw him a bit when Jorge hit it, which can sometimes be a good thing.
“I’d hit the last two but Jorge wasn’t on the pitch.
“He hit one after I’d missed three in a row against Aberdeen and scored, so there’s no reason for him not to hit them when he’s on the pitch. It’s something I’m quite comfortable with and there was no bickering about it. I was quite happy for him to go and score.
“I think it threw him [Hart]. He would have made his mind up where he was going if I was taking the penalty.
“But Jorge went up composed and scored. It’s just part and parcel of the game. I’d have probably said the same thing.
“A couple of the outfield players had asked if I’d bottled it as well. I would have been asking as well if I’d been in their position!
“But that’s football. There’s always that bit of banter between the players on the pitch. But I was confident in Jorge to go and score.”
Shankland did beat Hart before half-time but his strike was ruled out for offside.
He said: “I thought I was onside but I think (Cameron) Carter Vickers did well to step up. It was clever defending from him.
“Alan (Forrest) took four days to give me the pass. I’ll be having words with him!”
Shankland, in his words, got there in the end after the restart when rifling home Calem Nieuwenhof ’s pass from on the deck.
He said: “Amazing assist! I don’t actually know how the ball went back in my direction.
“But thankfully it came into my path and I managed to stick it away. It was quite instinctive. I caught it really well.”
Shankland’s heroics came in front of Scotland boss Steve Clarke as he maintained his charge towards the 30-goal mark and Euro 2024.
He added: “No, I didn’t know [Clarke was there]. I don‘t text him all the time, he’s not my mate! He’s the national team manager!”