Lawrence Shankland fires winner against Rangers to boost Hearts’ title bid

Hearts 2-1 Rangers: Shankland scored the decisive goal in the 71st minute as the Jambos came from behind to secure three vital points
Captain Lawrence Shankland kept Hearts firmly on course for Premiership glory as they all but eliminated one of their two main rivals from contention by coming from behind to defeat Rangers 2-1 at a frenzied Tynecastle.

The Gers arrived in Edinburgh four points off the pace and it looked like they might be about to blow the three-way battle for the championship wide open when they led at the break through Dujon Sterling’s deflected effort.

But Hearts, having been outplayed for long periods of the first half, regrouped at the break and turned the game around through goals from Stephen Kingsley and Shankland.

The buoyant Jambos – who have won each of their last three games – are now three points ahead of second-placed Celtic with a superior goal difference and a whopping seven clear of Gers, with just three games remaining of this compelling Scottish title race.

McInnes said on Friday he wanted to see Tynecastle “in all its glory” for one of its biggest-ever games, and he certainly got his wish as his team emerged to a sea of maroon and white and a cacophony of noise.

The opening 10 minutes were predictably frenetic before Hearts fashioned the first notable chance, with Marc Leonard’s free-kick from the left headed over by Craig Halkett.

Rangers threatened for the first time in the 12th minute when Nico Raskin’s cross from the left had to be pushed behind by Alexander Schwolow.

From the resulting corner, Diomande saw a powerful volley from outside the box charged down.

The visitors spurned a golden chance in the 19th minute when Tochi Chukwuani sent a free header over the bar from a Tavernier corner.

The goal removed the wind from the hosts’ sails and they spent the remainder of the first half treading water as Danny Rohl’s team threatened a second.

McInnes responded by sending on Blair Spittal in place of the ineffective Chesnokov for the start of the second half and the change helped spark the Jambos into life.

The equaliser came in the 54th minute when Kyziridis cut in from the right and curled a low shot off the far post, with Kingsley perfectly placed to guide in the rebound from just outside the six-yard box.

Hearts’ tails were up and they grabbed the decisive goal in the 71st minute when Spittal released Kingsley down the left and his cutback took a deflection off Tavernier and fell kindly to Shankland, who despatched an emphatic low left-footed finish beyond Butland, sparking delirious scenes.

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