Figure caption,

Hearts put three past Falkirk to move within point of title

At a glance

  • Hearts must avoid defeat at Celtic Park on Saturday to win first title since 1960

  • Bullet header from Kent & Devlin's deflected strike give Hearts 2-0 lead

  • Spittal adds late third for Tynecastle side

ByGeorge O'Neill
BBC Sport Scotland

Hearts will be Scottish champions for the first time since 1960 if they avoid defeat at Celtic Park on Saturday after sweeping aside Falkirk at a raucous Tynecastle.

First-half goals from an unlikely duo - centre-back Frankie Kent and midfielder Cammy Devlin - and Blair Spittal's brilliant late curling strike ensured Hearts did what they needed to do on a night of high tension and high drama.

The result in Gorgie, combined with Celtic's controversial 99th-minute win at Motherwell, means Derek McInnes' side will travel to Celtic Park on Saturday knowing a draw would be enough for a scarcely-believable Premiership crown.

For a brief period in the first half, it looked as though this would be the evening Hearts fans have dreamed of.

Two goals around the half hour at Tynecastle - combined with Motherwell taking the lead - sparked joyous scenes around the Edinburgh ground.

That was in stark contrast to a nervy start on the pitch - understandable given what is at stake.

Calvin Miller thought he had given Falkirk the lead when he broke clear and found the bottom corner, only to be denied by the offside flag.

However, Kent - in the Hearts side after Craig Halkett's Achilles injury - wriggled free to power home Alexandros Kyziridis' corner and settle the home side down.

From there, Hearts took control.

Harry Milne spurned a massive chance for 2-0 but, soon after, Devlin rushed on to a loose ball in the Falkirk box and his deflected strike nestled in the back of the net.

The news of Celtic turning the game round to lead at Fir Park quietened the party atmosphere, but as news of Motherwell's leveller in Lanarkshire came through on phones around Tynecastle, the place erupted again.

The mood improved further as Spittal cut on to his left foot and found the bottom corner with a delightful finish.

But, as the Hearts players loitered on the pitch after the final whistle, news filtered through that Celtic had snatched a late winner ensure they remain within a point and that Saturday's final day is going to be epic.

Graphic

Analysis: Hearts do what they need to do

The late drama at Fir Park will dominate discussions given the contentious nature of the Celtic penalty award, but McInnes was adamant in the build-up that he expected the defending champions to win their game.

The focus for Hearts was on their own business and they took care of that expertly.

From the moment Kent planted his header beyond Falkirk goalkeeper Nicky Hogarth, they were by far the better side.

Kyziridis - restored to the side after some inconsistent performances recently - teed up Kent's goal and was superb throughout.

Spittal was influential again - as he was in the post-split wins over Hibernian and Rangers - while the return of Devlin and Harry Milne was a welcome boost.

There is now one final hurdle for McInnes' side to overcome - a significant one at that. They must go to the well one final time in what has been a superb campaign - one that will go down in folklore if they get the job done.

They are unbeaten in their three meetings with Celtic so far this season - a win at Parkhead in December as well as a win and a draw at Tynecastle.

If they maintain that record, they win the league. Easier said than done.

What the managers said

Figure caption,

McInnes on late Celtic penalty

Hearts head coach Derek McInnes: "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.

"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."

Falkirk manager John McGlynn: "I thought we started the game well. We created openings and made it nervy for Hearts for a good 20 minutes, I would say.

"Hearts came into it and put us under pressure from a corner kick, which is our Achilles heel right now. Then Hearts have their tails up, are rampant and the place is buzzing.

"Overall Hearts deserved their win. They're top of the league for a reason, have good players and are all playing together.

"We're not going to criticise our players, who have been magnificent all season. I'm proud of them for the season."

What's next for these teams?

They go head-to-head at Celtic Park on Saturday (12:30 BST), with live text updates and radio commentary available on BBC Sounds and the BBC Sport website.

Player of the match

Number: 9 L. Shankland
Average rating 8.30
Number: 9 L. Shankland
Average Rating: 8.30
Number: 2 F. Kent
Average Rating: 8.27
Number: 89 A. Kyziridis
Average Rating: 8.25
Number: 16 B. Spittal
Average Rating: 8.18
Number: 10 Cláudio Braga
Average Rating: 8.14
Number: 6 B. Baningime
Average Rating: 8.12
Number: 25 A. Schwolow
Average Rating: 8.07
Number: 14 C. Devlin
Average Rating: 7.88
Number: 18 H. Milne
Average Rating: 7.85
Number: 15 M. Steinwender
Average Rating: 7.82
Number: 19 S. Findlay
Average Rating: 7.72
Number: 3 S. Kingsley
Average Rating: 7.60
Number: 23 J. Altena
Average Rating: 7.22
Number: 29 S. Kerjota
Average Rating: 6.77
Number: 11 P. Kaboré
Average Rating: 6.63
Number: 17 A. Forrest
Average Rating: 6.26

After the opportunity to rate players has closed, the score displayed represents the average from all the submissions by BBC Sport users.