Hearts manager Derek McInnes insisted his side remain well-placed in the title race despite surrendering the chance to extend their lead after a 2-2 draw at bottom club Livingston.
The result meant the margin between the top three was cut to three points: Celtic moved to within that gap thanks to Kelechi Iheanacho’s late winner at Dundee on Sunday, while Rangers briefly reached the summit for the first time in two years after beating Dundee United at Ibrox on Saturday.
With six league games remaining, McInnes said Hearts still control their own destiny. The Tynecastle side travel to Motherwell next weekend for their final fixture before the split, and McInnes admitted the team had enjoyed larger leads earlier in the season but still have a realistic chance of securing a top-flight title for the first time in 66 years.
“We’re still in a strong position,” he said after the draw at Livingston. “We’ve now got three games at home of the last six, but there’s no doubting that the next time we go away from home, we’re going to have to make sure we defend a lot better than we did today.”
Celtic had been left questioning their bid after a 2-0 loss at Dundee United before the international break, but Iheanacho’s late strike at Dens Park kept Ange Postecoglou’s side firmly involved. Celtic created several openings in the win, yet struggled to convert them — Tomas Čvančara was singled out for not building on Hyun-Jun Wang’s early opener — a concern Martin O’Neill emphasised after the match.
“It’s simple: we will create chances, but we must take them and defend strongly,” O’Neill told Sky Sports. He warned that profligacy in front of goal cannot be repeated if Celtic are to sustain a serious title challenge.
Pre-split Scottish Premiership fixtures:
– April 11: Celtic vs St Mirren
– April 11: Hearts vs Motherwell
– April 12: Falkirk vs Rangers – live on Sky Sports
Rangers boss Danny Röhl urged his players to maintain the mentality of the pursuer after their brief spell at the top. He admitted surprise that it had taken two years for the club to sit first, but stressed that nothing has been won with six matches to play.
“I was really surprised that this is the first time we’ve been top in two years,” Röhl said. “But the most important thing is that we still have the right mindset. We have to stay as the hunter… if we win six games then we will have something at the end of the season. There is still a long way to go.” He also noted the challenge of the upcoming trip to Falkirk and urged his squad to remain humble and focused.
Former Scotland and Motherwell striker James McFadden told Sky Sports the title race remains hard to call despite Hearts’ long stint at the top. All three contenders have dropped at least four points in their last five matches, he pointed out, underlining the unpredictability of the closing weeks.
“You look at Hearts and expect them to win comfortably at Livingston — then they get pegged back,” McFadden said. “Rangers can be expected to win at Ibrox; Celtic, you aren’t sure whether you’ll get a performance or just a result. Each week you could make a prediction and still get it wrong.”
With the split approaching, the battle for Scotland’s Premiership crown looks set for an intense finale as Hearts, Celtic and Rangers head into a decisive final phase with little margin for error.