A penny for the thoughts of the Hearts manager, Derek McInnes, as John Beaton was diverted by the video assistant referee towards the pitchside screen. Only seconds of regulation time remained. An afternoon that for so long looked to belong to Rangers was about to take a significant twist. As Beaton awarded Celtic a penalty, from which Reo Hatate eventually scored, idle Hearts emerged the real winners.
The Edinburgh club’s aspirations of winning the Scottish title for the first time since 1960 have been enhanced over back-to-back weekends. Hearts lead Rangers by six and Celtic, who play their game in hand at Aberdeen on Wednesday, by eight. McInnes has the making of history within his grasp. No wonder Sir Alex Ferguson, the last non‑Old Firm manager to win the top league, thought it appropriate to take in the weekend fixtures at Tynecastle and Ibrox.
