Hearts 2-2 Celtic player ratings and report as title race takes twist and Rangers gain ground
Pulsating Tynecastle clash ends all square as Ibrox men gain ground
Premiership leaders Hearts struck late to earn a share of the spoils as they and Celtic played out an entertaining 2-2 draw at Tynecastle.
Defending champions Celtic twice led through goals from Benjamin Nygren and Yang Hyun-jun, but Hearts levelled through Stuart Findlay and Claudio Braga to ensure that they stay six points ahead of Celtic, who had defender Auston Trusty sent off when 2-1 up.
Celtic slip to third in the table after Rangers defeated Dundee 3-0 at Ibrox. They are now second in table, four points behind Hearts with 15 matches remaining in the campaign.
Both teams had debutants in their starting XIs. Hearts started on-loan midfielder Marc Leonard, while Tomas Cvancara was pitched straight into the Celtic frontline.
Celtic took the lead on seven minutes when Nygren curled a free-kick past Hearts goalkeeper Craig Gordon from 16 yards after the Swede had been fouled by debutant Leonard.
The hosts grew into the match and had an excellent chance to equalise towards the end of the first half after Trusty miscontrolled a long ball and allowed Alexandros Kyziridis a one-on-one with Celtic keeper Kasper Schmeichel, only for the Dane to stand tall and deny him.
Hearts got their equaliser on 47 minutes, though, when Stuart Findlay towered unmarked at the back post to head home a Leonard corner.
Celtic poked their noses back in front on 63 minutes when Cvancara powered down the left wing and cut the ball back across goal for Yang Hyun-jun to slide home from close range.
The champions were then reduced to ten men on 76 minutes when Trusty was sent off for denying Hearts striker Pierre Landry Kabore a clear goalscoring opportunity and for the second game in succession, Celtic had to see out the match with a man less.
They could only hold out until the 87th minutes. Oisin McEntee headed down a free-kick and Claudio Braga rammed the ball home from close range.
Hearts pushed for a winner and the closest they came in eight minutes of stoppage time was when a rising strike from substitute Blair Spittal clipped the top of the crossbar.
Hearts are next in action on Saturday when they travel to Dundee United, while on Sunday, Rangers face Hibs at Easter Road and Celtic host Falkirk.
Hearts v Celtic player ratings
Hearts: Gordon 5; Steinwender 6 (Spittal 2), Halkett 6, Findlay 7, McCart 6 (McEntee 2); Milne 7, Leonard 6; Braga 7, Magnusson 5 (Kerjota 3), Kyziridis 5; Kabore 6 (Wilson n/a).
Celtic: Schmeichel 7; Araujo 6, Trusty 4, Scales 6, Tierney 6 (Murray 2); Engels 5, McGregor 6, Nygren 7; Yang 7 (Ralston 2), Cvancara 6 (Tounekti 2), Maeda 5.
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