Heart of Midlothian

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"When they were checking a 96th minute penalty, you assume they [Celtic] are getting it," Hearts head coach Derek McInnes told Sky Sports after Celtic's late spot kick kept them a point behind the league leaders going into the final game in Glasgow.

"It's disgusting. We're up against everybody. I don't think it's a penalty.

"If I'm Motherwell, I'm really disappointed. It's so poor and it looks as though [Celtic] have been given it. They are very fortunate.

"It's going to the last game. We're delighted to be part of it.

"To do it, we're going to have to go and get a positive result. What a game it's going to be."

Reflecting on his own side's 3-0 win over Falkirk, which ensured that a draw at Celtic Park would see Hearts crowned champions, he said he was proud of his side.

"I thought the focus and concentration of the game was really good.

"For us to get to 80 points with a game to go is unbelieveable shooting.

"It's great effort from everybody and I couldn't be more proud of the team for dealing with the game."

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Hearts legend Gary Mackay says it would be "wonderful" for supporters who saved the club almost 10 years ago to witness a first top-flight title in over 60 years.

The 62-year-old was playing for Hearts last time they got close to the title, missing out to Celtic on goal difference on that fateful final day in 1986 after a 2-0 defeat to Dundee.

Since then the club has faced relegations, promotions and almost shut its doors for good in 2013 due to off-field financial issues and an ongoing legal dispute between the club and Lithuanian financial authorities.

Now Hearts are supporter owned and Mackay would love to see the fans repaid for their faith.

With two games of a thrilling season remaining, Hearts host Falkirk tonight while Celtic - a point behind - visit Motherwell.

"This is a new time for Hearts," Mackay told BBC Radio Scotland.

"If we'd have thought this time last year, never mind this time 40 years ago, that Hearts were going to be sitting with two games to go to win the Premiership we would have been ecstatic.

"There are nerves and anxiety but there will be nerves and anxiety in the Celtic camp too. It's up to us to make sure we look after our side of the bargain.

"I think back to the people 10 years ago who were starting up 'Save our Hearts' and the club was becoming fan owned, there's been so much that's happened that it would be wonderful for these people, who aren't footballers but who have a love of the club, [to see them win].

"Tonight, because it's at Tynecastle and you're going into it unbeaten at home, I think Derek McInnes will be urging them to give more of the same."

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Wherever Lawrence Shankland goes, there is no escaping title talk.

Never in his wildest dreams did the striker expect to be two games from Premiership glory when he ended a summer of speculation by signing a new three-year deal last summer.

But here he is. The prize is tantalisingly close. Hearts can even be crowned champions tonight – if they beat Falkirk at home and Celtic lose at Motherwell – and captain Shankland is adopting a tunnel-vision approach.

"There's obviously a lot to think about and take in. It's an exciting opportunity," said Shankland.

"There's a lot of talk around the place, and even outwith the building, everywhere you go, people like to talk to you about it.

"So it isn't easy, as professionals we've got a job to do. First and foremost we need to go and win the Falkirk game.

"There will be nerves, it's totally normal. You're a human being after all and when you get this close to achieving something great it's only normal to have them.

"It's just about controlling them, but throughout the season we've dealt with that really well. There's been all sorts of different pressures. We've been behind in a lot, we've had to come back.

"I've said to the boys a few times, we've dealt with every position you could possibly be in this season. We've dealt with it and we've come through it. That needs to continue."

Hearts remain unbeaten at Tynecastle this season, winning 14 of their 18 league matches. And Shankland is adamant the anger and frustration of being denied a penalty in last weekend's 1-1 draw at Motherwell – where Alexandros Kyziridis was clipped in the box by Tawanda Maswanhise – has been consigned to history.

"You need to move on," he said. "Throughout the season there's a lot of moments that become tough and you feel a wee bit down, but you need to move on quickly.

"We've done that really well this season. Every time we've suffered a wee setback, we've always bounced back and got a win straight after it. So it's important we go and do that again."

Brian McLauchlin
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

When Tony Bloom told us back in August he thought the Hearts team he had taken a minority stake in could split the Old Firm this season many questioned the sanity of the Brighton owner.

And yet here we are, nine months down the road and Bloom's prediction has happened with Rangers now guaranteed to finish no better than third.

With every point Hearts dropped came predictions they would fall away now, but those within Tynecastle stayed firm. Not only do they remain top, they could be crowned champions tonight.

However, after the weekend results the Hearts doubters are saying the title will be heading to Celtic Park following the next two fixtures.

They may be proven right but one thing we have learned this season is that when serious questions have been asked of this Hearts team they have been answered with a positivity few other clubs could have managed.

The manner of the two dropped points on Saturday at Fir Park may well still hurt those of a maroon persuasion but for Derek McInnes and his players that moment has now gone and it is on to the next task.

Falkirk under John McGlynn have posed real threats to every Premiership team this season so anyone thinking this game will be simple should think again.

The players, whether they like it or not, will be kept up to speed with events at Motherwell but first of all they must take care of business themselves.

Tonight will be full of tension, nerves and potentially controversy.

Tynecastle will be no place for the faint-hearted. This could, however, be the biggest night in the club's history for decades and the best night of their lives for Hearts fans.

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Tony Bloom was "laughed at" when suggesting Hearts would challenge for second place this season - but they could be crowned champions tonight.

If Celtic lose at Motherwell and Hearts - who currently hold a one-point lead - win at home to Falkirk, the Tynecastle's first top-flight title in 66 years will be confirmed.

Should the race go to the final game, it will be decided at Celtic Park on Saturday when Derek McInnes' men visit the defending champions.

Hearts fan Liam Corbett, of the This is My Story podcast, external, feels that no matter what happens the progress made this term by a club that finished in the bottom six last term cannot be understated.

"Perspective is a massive thing for Hearts," Corbett told the BBC's Scottish Football Podcast.

"Around this time last year we drew at Motherwell 0-0 to consign us to the bottom six. If you told anybody back then that we'd be here, two games away from a title, they'd have been laughed out of Fir Park and no one would have believed it.

"When you look at the spine of that team, Derek McInnes has got pretty much six or seven of those players that were here last season playing to a much, much higher level. Still loads and loads of positives for Hearts.

"Remember too that Tony Bloom said in August that he would be disappointed if Hearts didn't finish second this season. He was laughed at. He said he can see Hearts winning the title in 10 years. Well, we're one season in and we're two games away from delivering what that.

"So there's loads and loads of positives and tonight, anything can happen. We all know that in football.

"There's a world where, this time tomorrow, Hearts could be champions. There's a world in which this time tomorrow I could be booking trips to Antarctica just to get away from everything."

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• Lawrence Shankland has scored in both of Hearts' past two home league games; the last Jambos player to score in three successive home Scottish Premiership appearances was Shankland himself in May 2024.

• Hearts have won their past five top-flight matches against Falkirk, including all three this season without conceding, although the Bairns won the sides' Scottish Cup fourth-meeting in January on penalties after a 1-1 draw.

• Falkirk have only scored in one of their past seven top-flight matches against Hearts (D2 L5), netting twice but still losing in February 2010 (3-2).

• After beating St Johnstone 2-1 last season, Hearts could win their final home game in back-to-back top-flight campaigns for the first time since 2005-06/2006-07.

• In Falkirk's 17 away league games this season, they have never had the same result twice in a row (W7 D2 L8), losing 3-1 at Celtic last time out.

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Hearts have lost key duo Marc Leonard and Craig Halkett to ruptured Achilles but Harry Milne is set to return after a calf issue.

Goalkeeper Craig Gordon is back in training after a shoulder problem but midfielders Oisin McEntee, Calem Nieuwenhof (both hamstring), Tomas Magnusson and Ageu (both thigh) are still out.

Falkirk have issues in defence. Filip Lissah (ankle) and Leon McCann (hamstring) hobbled off on Saturday and on-loan Hearts centre-back Lewis Neilson is ineligible.

Goalkeeper Scott Bain (ankle) is set to remain out along with Louie Marsh and Ethan Williams (both thigh).

Brian McLauchlin
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Derek McInnes has been speaking to the media before Premiership leaders Hearts host Falkirk in the penultimate game of the season on Wednesday night.

Here are the key lines:

• Defender Craig Halkett and midfielder Marc Leonard have undergone operations after rupturing their Achilles in the weekend draw at Motherwell and will be out for up to nine months.

• McInnes hopes the "terrible" injury blows will help inspire Hearts to the title: "It's an extra wee bit of motivation for us – if we needed any more – that two players who have played a big part have really suffered. It's unusual. I've never known anything like it to get two Achilles injuries in one game."

• Harry Milne and Cammy Devlin are both fit and available to start on Wednesday.

• McInnes says it is "brilliant shooting" that Hearts already have a Champions League spot secured, but they are determined to "go one better now and win the league" and have an "unshakeable belief in what we're doing".

• Hearts have parked the "sense of injustice" after being denied a penalty in the 1-1 draw at Fir Park: "We were the better team and I thought we were denied a really good chance to get that second goal. So of course there's a bit of grievance, but you can't use that all of a sudden as a reason to get into the next game and still be hankering over that. I think we've moved on from that."

• McInnes revealed he spoke to Scottish FA referees' chief Willie Collum to get the penalty grievance "off my chest", saying: "He was in agreement and I was satisfied from that point of view."

• McInnes adds: "Everything becomes magnified now. Everything has got such a weight behind it. And so we were really disappointed with the decision. VAR worked perfectly... but unfortunately the referee didn't."

• On Hearts fulfilling Tony Bloom's prediction of at least splitting the Old Firm this season, McInnes says: "I'm satisfied with what the players have given us. They're the main drivers of all of this. The players have been first class. We've had so many good moments, it's been such an enjoyable season."

• After the win over Rangers in Hearts' previous home outing, McInnes' message to the fans for the visit of Falkirk is: "Hopefully the same again. Something close to that would be perfect for us in terms of how the game started. That's the biggest thing tomorrow night, that we try and deliver a performance that wins the game and then just keep doing what you're doing."

• McInnes is convinced second-place Celtic will win at Motherwell: "I've had it in my head that we are going to the last game and I'm prepared for that."

• McInnes says that while it's "nice to even hear" Hearts could be crowned champions at Tynecastle on Wednesday night, the focus is purely on beating Falkirk and "the likelihood is we're going to have to win two games or certainly pick up four points".

Image source, Calum McKenzie/HMFC

Hearts striker Claudio Braga has landed another award, being named Scottish Premiership player of the season.

The 26-year-old Portuguese has helped fuel Hearts' title bid with 14 league goals - and 17 in all competitions - during his memorable debut campaign at Tynecastle.

Braga is on course for an awards clean sweep, having also won the PFA Scotland player of the year and been nominated for Scottish Football Writers' Association player of the year.

On his Premiership accolade, Braga said: "I'm honoured to win this award, but must thank my coaches and team-mates that have made this possible.

"I've been able to perform consistently because of how good the club were with me when I joined and I'm thankful to the fans for helping me settle so quickly."

Meanwhile, striker Josh McPake - who will join Hearts this summer - is the Championship player of the season after netting 16 goals in St Johnstone's title-winning campaign.

Greg Playfair
Fan writer

Believe. The word that now defines Hearts' bid to win the Scottish Premiership.

I have changed my mind more times than I care to admit over whether this team can actually do it. But with the finishing line in sight, the equation is simple: Hearts are four points away from immortality.

Only Martin O'Neill and his Celtic side can now prevent what once felt like a pipe dream from becoming history.

I have no doubt this squad is strong enough to finish the job, both in terms of quality on the pitch and resilience off it. Their character has been questioned all season, but in recent weeks they have looked every inch a side capable of handling the pressure.

Hearts have already come through a season shaped by upheaval elsewhere, facing five different Old Firm managers, and there may yet be more change to come. That, however, is for another day. For now, everything rests on the next five days.

If I could turn back time, I would have put £20 on Hearts to win the league the moment Tony Bloom made his comments on the eve of the Aberdeen game.

Bloom was mocked in some quarters when he suggested Hearts would win the league at least once in the next decade and close the gap on Celtic this season.

He may yet be proved absolutely right.

What I do not accept is the lazy argument Hearts are top only because Celtic and Rangers have underperformed. It is an unfair reading of the season and diminishes what Hearts have earned.

Hearts are in pole position because they have taken nine points from 12 against Rangers and seven from nine against Celtic. Title challenges are built on results like that.

Those results have rattled two clubs long regarded as untouchable forces. Now we must show the nerve to land the decisive blow.

There should be no expectation Falkirk will simply roll over. They will want to finish strongly and many of their players will see Wednesday night as a chance to impress on a high-profile global stage.

Hearts could lift the title as early as Wednesday night, provided they take care of business in Gorgie and Motherwell beat Celtic.

My expectation, however, is Celtic - still buoyed by their victory over Rangers - will beat Motherwell comfortably.

That would leave a winner-takes-all showdown at Parkhead on Saturday and I would back Hearts to come through that occasion intact.

So yes, I believe. And if you are of a maroon persuasion, you probably should too.

Rangers legend Kris Boyd has predicted Celtic will win the league ahead of Hearts, but only if Martin O'Neill's side beat Motherwell on Wednesday. (Scottish Sun), external

Read the rest of Tuesday's Scottish gossip.

Hearts and Motherwell both felt they should have had penalties in Saturday's 1-1 Premiership draw.

The one that has drawn most attention was when referee Steven McLean was sent to the pitchside monitor to review a challenge by Motherwell's Tawanda Maswanhise on Hearts winger Claudio Braga.

McLean decided there was not enough evidence to overturn his original decision of no foul and play continued.

"It's clear as day," Scott Allan said on Sportscene.

"It's a stamp down from Maswanhise and it's a penalty all day.

"I'm really struggling to see how he's come to that decision. It could have an outcome on the title."

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Hearts' Claudio Braga could win an awards double after he was shortlisted for the Scottish Football Writers' Association player of the year award.

The Portuguese forward is nominated alongside teammate Lawrence Shankland and Motherwell duo Elijah Just and Tawanda Maswanhise.

The manager of the year award could also go to Tynecastle or Fir Park, with Derek McInnes and Jens Berthel Askou both nominated.

Falkirk boss John McGlynn and Celtic interim manager Martin O'Neill are also on the shortlist.

Four Scottish players are in the running for young player of the year - Falkirk striker Barney Stewart, Kilmarnock's on-loan Rangers winger Findlay Curtis, Dundee defender Luke Graham and Dunfermline's Andrew Tod.

The winners will be announced on Sunday, 17 May.

Jonathan Sutherland
Sportscene presenter

Kieran O'Hara - Dundee

A clean sheet and a penalty save as Dundee safeguarded their Premiership status.

Findlay Curtis - Kilmarnock

A star showing from Curtis with two huge goals over fellow relegation rivals St Mirren.

Stephen O'Donnell - Motherwell

What a block to deny Lawrence Shankland. Gave everything for the Motherwell cause.

Kieran Tierney - Celtic

There feels like there is so much more impetus about Celtic ever since the international break. Seasoned campaigners like Tierney have really come to the fore as Celtic make their final charge to defend their title. An assist for Maeda's first goal.

Jordan Obita - Hibernian

On the scoresheet in what was a big away win at the Falkirk Stadium.

Josh Campbell - Hibernian

Two well taken goals on the way to a big result which keeps alive Hibs hopes of catching Motherwell.

Callum McGregor - Celtic

A captain's performance as the Celtic leader marshalled his teammates to great effect throughout a potentially pivotal Old Firm victory.

Cam Congreve - Dundee

Another goal for the consistently excellent Welsh international on loan from Swansea.

Toyosi Olusanya - Aberdeen

Finally, his first goal for Aberdeen. Big moment for the former St Mirren man.

Lawrence Shankland - Hearts

Denied by O'Donnell, but you don't keep the Hearts captain down for long. When the next chance came along there was never any doubt Shankland would find the net. Could be a huge goal.

Daizen Maeda - Celtic

In a decidedly mixed season, Maeda was outstanding in the Old Firm derby. Time seemed to stand still as his stupendous overhead kick looped into the net behind Jack Butland. Maeda never stood still throughout this match, his energy levels saw him chase down Rangers players throughout. Two goals on the day and six goals in four games. Coming to the boil at just the right time.

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Hearts are planning to hold talks with Birmingham City over a permanent move for on-loan midfielder Marc Leonard as they aim to beat Celtic to a deal for the 24-year-old. (Football Insider), external

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