Ice-cool Derek McInnes' Hearts patience pays off to pip Hibs again - now over to Celtic and Rangers

The 23-year-old has been one of the less heralded arrivals during the Tony Bloom revolution but has weighed in with some critical goals, no more so than here with this winner two minutes from the end. Not bad for £40,000.

In doing so he quelled the anxiety of the home fans, who feared their manager's perceived sluggishness when it comes to making changes might cost them the chance to extend the gap between them and Rangers to six points.

The Ibrox side have a chance to put pressure back on the leaders against Motherwell on Wednesday night, as do Celtic at home to Livingston.

But this 1-0 win over Hibs, the second time this season Hearts have struck at the death in the Edinburgh derby at Tynecastle, will do for now. Magnusson was called upon after 75 minutes in a double substitution that also saw Jordi Altena, a right back, come on. It was the first time McInnes had turned to his bench and this might not have been everyone’s choice of alteration for trying to win the match. But Magnusson has an unerring ability to be in the right place at the right time and he was on hand to steer Harry Milne’s cross from the left into the net after 88 minutes to signal bedlam in the home stands.

Tynecastle under the lights. Some good old-fashioned pre-match provocation in the form of playing highlights from a certain Scottish Cup final. Adding to the spicy ingredients a constant drizzle ensured the surface was slick and greasy. There was nowhere better to be on a Tuesday night with so much lying on the line - although the football purist might not have agreed.

The ball was screaming for mercy by the end, not that the home fans cared Few in the crowd had banked on both sides finishing the game with ten men, particularly given the recent record of Hearts at least. Surely this was manager McInnes’ final plea as he counted his players out of the home dressing room. “And for god’s sake make sure all 11 players come back in again…”

It was that kind of game

That hasn’t been the case at half time in three of their last six games but on this occasion, they did. It was 11 v 11 at the end too, perhaps surprisingly. Frankie Kent escaped an early booking for hauling down Miguel Chaiwa as the midfielder tried to break from deep in his own half. Perhaps referee Nick Walsh was allowing for the conditions.

It was fast and it was furious and if you feared for the visitors it was as much because four of their number were experiencing this for the first time compared to three for the hosts. One of those Hearts debutants, Marc Leonard, had in fact started his career at Hearts and enjoyed – if that’s the right word - a belated introduction to a fixture as physical as surely any in the country.

The fixture represented a challenging first start for Islam Chesnokov, whose full debut has been greatly anticipated by the Gorgie faithful. His first contribution was a cute dummy that allowed Landry Kabore to make progress towards goal before the striker pulled his subsequent shot wide. Hibs made a break at the other end. Felix Passlack only had to play Martin Boyle in but overhit the pass. Stuart Findlay did well not to concede a penalty when he found that Boyle had got the wrong side of him shortly afterwards.

This was the sort of thing for which players were earning praise – not conceding penalties. It was that kind of game. Alexander Schwolow deserved credit for doing something a goalkeeper is supposed to do when he got down well to a low shot from Boyle. At the other end, meanwhile, Raphael Sallinger was brave trying to thwart Chesnokov, who slid into him while shooting over at the far post.

Reason to applaud anyone for actual ball skills was scarce, however. On the sidelines McInnes earned a certain admiration for persisting with just small light jacket with upturned collar in the constant downpour. The players were notably failing to test either keeper in these tricky conditions although Milne was a likely candidate to finally have a go from distance. Sallinger got down well to a low shot seven minutes into a second half that was otherwise containing more of the same blood and thunder.

Clearances were being celebrated in the absence of goals. Alexandros Kyziridis, more used to decisive contributions at the other end, made a vital intervention to clear Nicky Cadden’s cross into the Roseburn Stand with Boyle lurking. The Greek winger’s explosion of emotion was a reminder of what was at stake, as if anyone had forgotten.