Pantomime season may be drawing to a close, but it was alive and well at Almondvale.

Do Hearts have the Championship trophy sewn up? "Oh yes they do," says Livingston manager Mark Burchill. "Oh no we don't," counters the Tynecastle club's head coach, Robbie Neilson.

A solitary James Keatings strike was enough to secure a pivotal 1-0 triumph over Livingston, ensuring Hearts will bring in the bells at new year as the only undefeated side in British senior league football.

Allied with Rangers' dismal 4-0 defeat at the hands of Hibernian, they now boast a 15-point lead at the summit of Scotland's second tier, while they are a further four ahead of their city rivals.

Over 7,000 fans, the largest travelling support in Britain this weekend, serenaded the Hearts players with chants of "we are going up", and on the evidence of this weekend it is hard to imagine that forecast is inaccurate.

And that is certainly the view of the defeated manager, formerly a striker at Tynecastle.

"I thought we were very unlucky against a team who will, as far as I'm concerned, win the league," said Burchill, who was overseeing his first home match since taking over from John McGlynn.

"They have the best team, the best manager and the best tactics. They are going to win the league."

They certainly looked the part in the first half. Adam Eckersely, a constant threat down the left flank, delivered a stunning cross to the back post for Keatings, only for the former Celtic youth player to somehow direct his shot wide from point-blank range.

A deserved opener looked set to arrive on 12 minutes when Kyle Jacobs barrelled into the back of Jason Holt inside the box. Referee John McKendrick immediately pointed to the spot and Keatings scampered off to retrieve the ball.

However, spot-kick specialist Jamieson, who saved a club record five penalties last term, deflected the powerful effort clear with his legs.

Hearts, though, inevitably claimed the lead on 25 minutes. Eckersley stretched to send Billy King free down the left and the young winger showed composure and vision to deliver a pinpoint cross to the back post, where Keatings finally got the better of Jamieson from close range.

Despite falling well short of their own exacting standards in a nervy second half, Hearts still had the best chance through Prince Buaben, the Ghanaian striking the post with a header.

However, while the view from the top is a pleasant one, Neilson was not nearly as candid about his side's prospects as Burchill. "We are always aware of what the score is in games involving Rangers," he noted after watching his side register a 16th win in 18 league matches.

"It was great for the players to be sitting there 12 points clear and know that if they got a win they would go 15 clear and 19 ahead of Hibs. That is a great cushion to have at this stage.

"However, it can easily be eaten away and we must make sure we prepare properly for the Hibs game, then Dumbarton and Rangers.

"I don't agree that we are guaranteed to be champions, but if we win the rest of our games, we will win the league."