Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Sport
Ewan Murray at Easter Road

Hearts leave it late to sink nine-man Hibernian and capitalise on Rangers loss

Blair Spittal celebrates scoring a late winner in the Edinburgh derby.
Blair Spittal celebrates scoring a late winner in the Edinburgh derby. Photograph: Russell Cheyne/Reuters

The greatest myth relating to this Scottish football season is that a country eagerly awaits a Hearts title win. For supporters of Celtic and Rangers, the league flag flying at Tynecastle Park for the first time since 1960 might just be palatable on the basis of no bragging rights in Glasgow. Others have no desire whatsoever to see Hearts become the team to break a four-decade duopoly. This is a tribal football country and unashamedly so.

Case in point was delivered here by a diminished Hibernian, whose supporters demanded they fight tooth and nail to burst the Hearts bubble. Emigration will appeal to those with a fondness for the green half of Edinburgh should the Hearts fairytale reach appropriate conclusion. It is now only four games from that point. Scottish football is delivering the most thrilling top-flight race in Europe, with the underdogs still ahead of Glasgow’s big two.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.