Derek McInnes insisted Hearts remain comfortable at the top of the William Hill Premiership despite seeing their lead cut to four points after an explosive 2–2 draw with Celtic at Tynecastle.
The capital side twice came from behind against the defending champions in a fiery top-of-the-table clash in Gorgie. However, Rangers’ 3–0 win over Dundee at Ibrox means Hearts now sit just four points clear with 15 games of the season remaining.
Despite the narrowing gap, McInnes struck a confident tone and stressed that Hearts’ position is no fluke—even with key absences.
“I’m delighted where we are,” McInnes said. “We’ve been there a while now. It’s more than four months. It’s not a purple patch. It’s something that we’re comfortable with, and I’m enjoying where we are.
“We’re well aware there are big clubs and good teams desperate to be where we are. We’ve got to be ready for that challenge. But I’ve said all along we’ll need to keep improving. I believe there are wins in us. If the fans keep that connection with the team, who knows where it can take us?”
Hearts were without influential trio Beni Baningime, Cammy Devlin and Lawrence Shankland, but McInnes praised his squad’s resilience and belief.
“I think the belief’s been there for a while,” he added. “The players turned up today believing we could win the game. There’s disappointment that we didn’t, of course, but you need a lot of things to go your way.”
McInnes admitted the injury news earlier in the week had been a blow.
“There’s no two ways about it—Sunday and Monday we were a wee bit despondent when we got the news,” he said. “But overcoming challenges is part of it. It’s unrealistic to think you’ll go through a full season without them.”
He singled out several squad players for stepping up, including Nandry Kabore and Marc Leonard.
“Boys who’ve been waiting on the sidelines played their part today,” McInnes said. “Kabore had some really good moments. Bringing Marc in helped us—he showed composure, put his foot on the ball, and was terrific in that sense.
“It was a difficult start for him, but it tells you a lot about the boy’s personality that he kept taking it. He was very important to us, and we’re going to enjoy working with him.”
McInnes also revealed his surprise at Celtic being reduced to ten men, after Auston Trusty was sent off for bringing down Kabore—ending a remarkable run of 84 domestic matches without a Celtic red card.
“My take on it is what the fourth official said to me—they needed to be sure Kabore would get a shot away,” McInnes explained. “I thought he definitely was. He broke the line.
“Celtic don’t get red cards domestically, so it was a bit of a shock when VAR turned it into a red. But for me, it looked like a red-card offence.”
The Hearts boss also addressed a heated exchange with the Celtic bench following Benjamin Nygren’s opening goal.
“That’s one place I won’t be going,” McInnes said. “It had nothing to do with Martin [O’Neill] or Shaun [Maloney]. It was just one of the inexperienced coaches who got a bit carried away. That’s all I’ll say on it.”
Despite the drama, McInnes believes the point could prove valuable in the long run.
“Coming from behind twice against a team of Celtic’s quality is not the worst point when you look at it in the cold light of day,” he said.
With belief growing and Tynecastle firmly behind them, Hearts remain determined to stay in the title race as they chase a first Scottish league crown in 66 years.