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50 min: Kyziridis hits the ball to Shankland but fine defending from Rangers clears it and Spittal smashes over. That’s the first Hearts shot for almost 40 minutes.
48 min: Mikey Moore on another sortie, though this time he’s stopped in his tracks. Hearts much more up for this, and so are their fans.
46 min: What can Hearts find? Braga finds space but that’s closed down by Djiga. The front foot adopted, though. Rangers have struggled to put together a full 90 all season.
The teams are back out, Danny Rohl looking as immaculate as ever. Derek McInnes had much more to wory about. Blair Spittal is a half-time introduction for Chesnokov as Hearts attempt to go man for man on Rangers.
Paul Simpson gets in touch: “I don’t care if the equaliser goes in off Lawrence Shanklands jacksy, if that lucky draw is still on offer i would definitely grab it now.”
Simon McMahon gets in touch: “Evening John. Kári knows more about Scottish football than me, but I wonder if he’s heard this version of a fantastic song by Dundee songwriting legend Michael Marra about United keeper Hamish McAlpine. Michael was a Dundee fan himself, but knew an open goal when he saw one, as evidenced by the reference to Princess Grace of Monaco when she visited Tannadice in 1981 to watch a Uefa Cup tie.”
Half-time: Hearts 0-1 Rangers
Just 60 seconds added on, and Rangers continue to dominate. Tavernier and Olsen both have chances to create something. Hearts cling on towards a much-needed break. The title race is coming down to a single point if it stays this way at full-time.
45 min: It’s been some time since Hearts mounted a proper attack. Will Rangers come to rue not making enough of their dominance?
44 min: Derek McInnes makes copious notes ahead of another huge team talk. He’s had to give a few this season but each week, they become more and more important.
43 min: Rangers are well on top, and want more. Braga is chasing shadows and getting frustrated. Romance, such as it is, is dying on the vine, as Hearts are breaking.
41 min: Tavernier will take, and there’s a delay as he demands a full 10 yards for his kick. Tavernier, after all that, can only hit the wall. Typical.
40 min: Djiga breaks up a Hearts attack, shimmies and sets up a Rangers attack. Then as the ball bounces up, Diomande is clattered by Chesnokov who has run all the way back.
38 min: Mikey Moore sorties across the field as Rangers mount their latest attack. Shankland smashes into Chukwuani and is booked. Steve Clarke is in the stands, with Chris Wilder for convivial company.
36 min: Olsen extends a leg but cannot reach a Diomande pass. Rangers look the likelier team for the next goal.
34 min: Leonard’s ball booms in and Butland climbs highest to jump and claim the ball. Rangers try to send away Raskin but Leonard gets back to clear and concede a corner.
33 min: Not actually many fouls in this game, despite of the intensity but Olsen clatters into Baningime to set up a free-kick.
32 min: Rangers are taking control, while Hearts are struggling to keep hold of both their nerves and the ball. The long balls have been wayward.
31 min: Tavernier goes forward, and is tackled, to set up a Hearts attack. There’s anticipation when Shankland supplies Braga, only for the Portuguese player to lose his footing.
29 min: Rangers look assured and are holding on to possession, Hearts not a little hurried.
27 min: Kari Tulinius gets in touch: “I don’t really have an allegiance to any Scottish club, the closest I’ve come is liking the band Frightened Rabbit quite a bit, but the
Hutchison brothers grew up as Hearts fans, despite their Hibs supporting father. This season I’ve had many occasions to spin their lovely rendition of The Hearts Song. Incidentally, the songwriter, Hector Nicol, also wrote a song for the Hibs, as well as both sides of the Dundee divide. He was rooted for St. Mirren, but never wrote a
tune for them.”
I once met Hearts legend Mike Galloway on the Isle of Arran.
26 min: Another long throw, and the noise is coming from the drums and voices of those from Glasgow. This time, Hearts get the ball clear.
25 min: As it stands:
24 min: There’s silence then defiance from the Hearts fans. Derek McInnes takes a slug of water. It was always going to be dramatic.
Goal! Hearts 0-1 Rangers (Sterling. 23)
Rangers open the scoring, from a set play. A throw is launched in and Dujon Sterling’s shot is deflected and beyond Schwolow. Hearts will require another comeback.
21 min: The ball just not dropping for Braga and the Hearts attackers. Shankland tries to get something going but can’t find anyone but a blue shirt.
19 min: The closest yet! Rangers corner, Tavernier to take, and Chukwuani, under the posts, somehow missses. That was an open goal.
17 min: Rangers break quickly, Tavernier setting up an attack that is hurriedly beaten clear. More boos from the Hearts fans when Rangers have the ball. Their own noise is abating. This is nervous so understandable. It’s so even, so who cracks first?
16 min: Djiga has to hook clear as Hearts forwards chase down a Kingsley pass. Again, so little composure out there.
Peter Oh is away and punning: “It looks like the home side’s midfield four of Hearts narrowly edges out Rangers’ three of Diomande.”
14 min: Schwolow has to punch Tavernier’s corner clear. Set pieces have been dangerous from both teams.
13 min: Rangers now come forward. Moore sets up an attack and Raskin’s shot is deflected, and knocked behind by Schwolow for a corner.
12 min: Hearts build up a head of steam as Kyziridis gets a couple of chances to whip in the ball. On the bench, Danny Rohl is in consultation with his coaches.
11 min: Hearts free-kick, Leonard whipping in and Halkett has a chance, with Jack Butland all at sea; the connection is off-beam, though. That was the first proper opening.
10 min: Chesnokov attempts a pass but then Djiga gets in the way.
9 min: Claudio Braga clatters into a Rangers defender. It’s intensely physical, short on quality so far.
7 min: Rangers a very different proposition than in the early season days under Russell Martin. Danny Rohl was talking in pre-match of his team’s fine away record. Kingsley attempts to set up a Hearts attack but it’s overhit. Calm is in short supply here.
5 min: There’s not much football being played as yet. Nerves abound and it may take a while to settle, if it settles at all. Do we really want it to settle?
4 min: Easy to tell when Rangers are on the ball; the boos are deafening. The boos break when it looks as if Lawrence Shankland might be able to make an escape.
3 min: Richard Hirst is in touch: “Being English I’ve no dog in this fight but I’d love to see Hearts win the title, partly because it would be good to see the duopoly broken, but more because it would be great entertainment to see Rebus’s reaction.”
2 min: Paul Simpson gets in touch: “Back in 64-65 my old man tells me he was at the game against Kilmarnock with his dad and 50000 others (possibly exaggerated). Hearts lost 2-0 and Kilmarnock won the league on goal average, by about 0.04 of a goal. In 85-86 we lived in Australia and woke up to the crushing disappointment of a 2-0 loss to Dundee after an unheard of unbeaten run which allowed Celtic to pip them on goal difference, by three goals. In that season I did see a game against Rangers, an absolute pasting as my 14 year old self remembers, 3-0 to Hearts. I would happily take something similar today, although a lucky draw wouldn’t upset me too much. Come on you Jambos.”
1 min: Hearts get a throw in the Rangers half. Kingsley launches, only to be cleared. And Rangers escape on the counter to great boos. Diomande gets it eventually but can’t do anything with it.
Away we go at Tynecastle
1 min: What a noise rings out into the Eninburgh sky from the home fans. Tony Bloom was in the crowd, videoing the Hearts song being performed by Colin Chisolm. Are we not excited?
Danny Rohl, the Rangers manager, spoke to the BBC: ““You have to look at what you need today here as well, and that was the reason why we had some changes. We have a fantastic bench today.
“I think it is also crucial to understand that we have to stay in the game, we need good game management, and at the right moment, we have to be ruthless. [I expect an] emotional game, a lot of duels, second balls, set plays, and if all these things come together, then hopefully we can bring our quality with the ball as well on the pitch.
“I cannot speak for Hearts, but for us it’s a crucial one, it’s a big one, we know the table, we have to take points, we have to take three points, and if we take three points today, then we are in a fantastic place for the last three finals.”
For Hearts, the 4oth anniversary of you know what passed this week. A personal memory: I was nine when it happened and I have never forgotten seeing footage of their fans on Grandstand. The next day, I went to Knutsford Fair, a big event round my way, and still couldn’t those images out of my head as I went on the rides. Perhaps it’s those moments that pull you most into football.
Not sure anyone outside the Old Firm and Hibs – that’s a lot of people in Scotland – wants such scenes to be repeated.
The Hearts manager, Derek McInnes, spoke to Sky Sports: “I don’t think we need to build this game up for obvious reasons. You only need to look at the games yesterday and last week to see that discipline is vitally important. I imagine it will be quite volatile in terms of the intensity and speed of the game. We need to be really careful. I want my team to do what we have done all season at Tynecastle and make things difficult for the opposition.
“We have good options. Every time we look at the opponent it’s a different shape and different set of circumstances. I think with Braga and Shankland up top we have boys who can score goals and are confident in their work.”
Last time out:
Two changes from Easter Road for Hearts. Alexandros Kyziridis and Islam Chesnokov come in for Pierre Landry Kabore and Jordi Altena drop to the bench.
Outgoing Rangers captain James Tavernier replaces Jayden Meghoma. Mikey Moore, Andreas Skov Olsen and Mohamed Diomande come in for Thelo Aasgaard, Bojan Miovski and Djeidi Gassama drop to the bench.
The teams
Hearts: Schwolow, Steinwender, Halkett, Findlay, Kingsley Leonard, Baningime, Braga, Shankland, Kyziridis, Chesnokov. Subs: Fulton, Kent, McCart, Kabore, Spittal, Forrest, Altena, Kerjota, Mato.
Rangers: Butland; Tavernier, Fernandez, Djiga, Sterling; Chukwuani, Raskin, Diomande; Moore, Skov Olsen, Chermiti. Subs: Kelly, Rommens, Aarons, Barron, Aasgaard, Gassama, Antman, Naderi, Miovski.
Preamble
It goes without saying that this is massive. Following last week’s dramatic Edinburgh derby, and Celtic beating Hibs on Sunday, it’s all back on Hearts. Just four matches left, and the Old Firm to face, with Celtic to play on final day. Rangers, four points behind, have an outside chance, of the title but might just Celtic the title by winning. That makes for a heady mix.
Kick-off is at 5.30pm UK time. Join me.
