Hearts’ title hopes are still alive and kicking after a win over Falkirk.
Derek McInnes’ side remain ahead in the race for the Scottish Premiership, but Celtic and Rangers are firmly on their tails.
As the season has progressed, McInnes has become increasingly militant in his messages to the media, with the intent of putting pressure on Martin O’Neill’s side.
After the game, the Tynecastle boss addressed this saying: “You can’t get too obsessed.
“If you depend on others, you normally get let down. I’m just concentrating on my own team.
“There were a lot of people tipping Falkirk to come here and win. Falkirk are a good side, you need to do a lot right to beat them, so we’re just glad we’ve won the game.
“We’ll just deal with our own business as we go along and next Saturday’s another chance to do it.”
Martin O’Neill is still unbeaten domestically as Celtic manager across these two spells this season
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Derek McInnes on Hearts vs Celtic title race
Since O’Neill’s return to Celtic Park, Hearts are the only domestic side to stop them from winning.
The Hoops’ return to form under the Irishman hasn’t always been down to storming, 90-minute performances.
McInnes thinks the same of his team, saying: “Sometimes those 1-0 wins are the bedrock of any success a team can have.
“I think that’s been demonstrated in history. The first half, there was a 20-25 minute period where we looked really anxious.
“I thought our out-of-possession stuff was good the whole game, but our in-possession stuff needed to be better.
“I thought we were far better in the second half than we were first. We were the team that looked more likely to score a second goal in the second half.
“I watch Falkirk often enough and they normally pepper teams, they normally put endless crosses in the box, they normally create so many chances.
“Very rarely do they not score. But it wasn’t really like that. I thought the second half we were comfortable enough, we kept them away at arm’s length.
“I thought we thoroughly deserved the win.”
Hearts are now ten games away from bringing the title to somewhere other than Glasgow for the first time since 1985.
What is the biggest difference you have noticed in this Celtic side under Martin O’Neill?
Celtic’s 2-2 draw with Hearts at Tynecastle
Celtic’s meeting with Hearts last month was a nerve-wracking one. Celtic’s performance was defined by two real moments of quality in an unhandsome 90 minutes.
Nygren’s tremendous free kick opened the scoring early on, but Hearts were on top by half-time. Just minutes after the break, they scored from a corner, just as they did at Celtic Park.
An outstanding counter-attack saw Tomas Cvancara set up Yang Hyun-Jun, in what felt like a sucker-punch for Hearts.
But after the sending off, some heroic goalkeeping and defending wasn’t enough to prevent Hearts equalising again and securing a point.
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