No one laughing at mocked Rangers deal now as Hearts feel the heat on Super Sunday Scotland-style

People laughed when Rangers turned down a reported £12 million offer from Fenerbahce for his services in the last transfer window. No one is laughing now, certainly not Hearts after a 4-2 defeat at Ibrox. The Tynecastle side’s place at the top of the Premiership now looks slightly more precarious. What many predicted would happen is happening. The Old Firm are putting the heat on. Despite scoring two goals at Ibrox and leading twice, Derek McInnes’ tired-looking side left with nothing.

Chief among the reasons for this was Chermiti. It’s been said before but it’s worth repeating. Somewhere in the north-west of England Kevin Thelwell, the deeply unpopular former Ibrox sporting director, was allowing himself a little smile.

After being mocked for spending £9 million on the player from Everton, Chermiti's double in January's Old Firm game and now a hat-trick in an equally significant top-of-the-league clash might even mean Thelwell's deal represents good value for money. If Rangers win the league, it’s beyond argument.

With seven goals in 29 appearances, Chermiti is hardly Ally McCoist. But he's also young, just 21. Three superbly taken goals and a part in Rangers’ first equaliser made him the obvious choice for man of the match. The decision was even announced before he had wrapped up his hat-trick with a neat finish following a dazzling late solo run by substitute Djeidi Gassama.

Hearts’ No 10 Claudio Braga might have contended for the title if he had managed to build on his first-half exploits. He and others in the Hearts side wilted somewhat after giving as good as they got in the opening 45 minutes. They couldn’t live with Rangers’ urgency in the second half on Armed Forces Day at Ibrox.

Personnel from the Royal Marines abseiled into the stadium from the Broomloan, Copland and Sandy Jardine Stands, one of whom delivered the match ball from the skies. Hearts, meanwhile, quickly benefited from a gift from heaven as things threatened to go south very quickly for Rangers. They recovered to make a statement and wash the taste of two dropped points against Motherwell in midweek from their mouths. What was also a very good day for Celtic in the end surely enhanced Scottish football’s standing across the land.

Hopefully SPFL officials are beating a path to Sky Sports HQ this week to renegotiate the TV deal following ‘Super Sunday’ Scotland-style. Neutral viewers had already enjoyed five goals and a comeback win from 2-0 down for Celtic at Kilmarnock in the first match.

Could the drama continue? Yes, it could. Steve Clarke, performing punditry duties, picked the right game to attend. Marc Leonard discussed his international hopes in an interview in the Sunday newspapers. The on-loan midfielder took full advantage of Rangers’ munificence just 16 minutes in. Manny Fernandez reasoned that because he had just played a one-two with Nico Raskin in the middle of the park, the midfielder would be in the same place again to receive the ball a few seconds later. Raskin had instead turned away and was unaware the ball was behind him. Leonard seized on this, played his own one-two with Braga and lashed home with unerring accuracy.

Clarke could do a lot worse than have a look at Leonard in the upcoming pre-World Cup friendlies. Rangers struck back quickly, substitute Michael Steinwender slicing into his net while under pressure just six minutes after replacing Oisin McEntee, who sustained a shoulder injury and will join Hearts’ list of walking wounded. The goal was the product of an almighty fankle after Chermiti’s header from Tuur Rommens’ cross was saved by Alexander Schwolow.

Braga then headed Hearts back into the lead after beating John Souttar in the air to connect with a floated cross from the right delivered by Steinwender. The ball arced into the corner beyond Jack Butland, who could only fall to his knees on his line.

Chermiti then took over having shaken off a knock. Goal number one, after he was slipped in by Mikey Moore, saw him slot past Schwolow after getting the break of the ball from Craig Halkett’s attempted tackle. His second goal was a near-post header that Mark Hateley would have been proud of following Andreas Skov Olsen’s precise cross 11 minutes into the second half.

He completed his first career hat-trick in the final minute of regulation time thanks to a combination of composure and touch - qualities not always associated with a young man learning on the job in highly pressurised circumstances. Comprising of a header and two right-footed shots, it wasn't quite the perfect hat-trick. But it was a perfect day for Rangers - and maybe Celtic.