Hearts edge nine-man Hibs, move within 10 points of title glory

Skepticism has shadowed Hearts all season, waiting for the wobble that usually arrives before glory. Easter Road looked built for it, but Derek McInnes’ side answered with a comeback that felt bigger than one derby: a 2-1 victory over nine-man Hibernian, a three-point lead at the top of the Scottish Premiership, and a renewed sense that this may be real.

Martin Boyle put Hibs ahead, but the match turned on discipline, pressure and refusal. Goalkeeper Raphael Sallinger was sent off, then defender Felix Passlack followed, and Hearts kept coming until Warren O’Hora turned one into his own net before Blair Spittal struck in the 86th minute to settle it. The winning goal was the kind that changes a title race from possibility to argument.

That argument is now stark. Hearts need only 10 more points to secure their first league title since 1959-60, and the scale of that drought gives the campaign its edge. If they do finish the job, they would also become the first club outside Celtic and Rangers to win the Scottish top flight since Aberdeen under Sir Alex Ferguson in 1984-85. That is the historical weight sitting behind every remaining fixture.

McInnes has been clear that Hearts cannot afford to think beyond themselves. He said they are “not relying on anyone else” and must focus on their own results, while also describing Hibs as possibly their hardest game in the run-in. That message matters because the margins remain tight, even with the table now tilted in Hearts’ favour. Celtic are three points behind, and the schedule still contains severe tests, including trips and clashes that can reshape the standings in a single afternoon.

The next few weeks will decide whether this is the moment Hearts converted belief into proof, or only the latest surge before the pressure bites back. Celtic away and Rangers at home still loom, and Hearts and Celtic could meet on the final weekend at Parkhead in what now looks increasingly like a title decider. For a club chasing a crown last won in 1960, the escape from Easter Road may yet be remembered as the day doubt finally lost its grip.