HEARTS are so obliging to their city rivals these days that they do them a favour when they don't even need one.
Skipper Danny Wilson lifted the Championship trophy on his final appearance for the club, and Ann Budge performed an impromptu lap of honour, but this Tynecastle title party would have tasted a lot different had a giant Dutchman not allowed them to large it up by providing the big finish. While Hibernian's 3-0 revenge act against Scottish Cup semi-finalists Falkirk rendered events here irrelevant, the two goals in the last 10 minutes scored by Genero Zeefuik, the on-loan Groningen striker, afforded the Tynecastle side angst-free celebration.
They were sufficient to cancel out first-half goals from Darren McGregor and Kenny Miller and the upshot of it all is that Rangers finish fully 24 points back in the table, the next phase of their 'journey' now kicking off at their bogey ground of Palmerston Park, Dumfries, on Saturday evening. It is a venue where they have lost both of their matches this season, by an aggregate 5-0 scoreline.
"Can you turn them down a bit?" McCall joked, his voice drowned out momentarily by celebrating Hearts fans and players. "We are naturally disappointed not to have won the game, having been 2-0 up, but we would have been a hell of a lot sicker if Hibs hadn't won.
"We go now next Saturday," he added. "We put in a good, strong, away performance here and we will need the same next week. We don't need to win all the games but we certainly have what it takes to get up. I would be a bit silly to sit here and say I don't fancy us, wouldn't I?"
"Whatever happens happens," said Miller, "but for a club like us to approach ANY game without the ambition to win it's not acceptable. It's how we're built. We want to win every game and that means the next two, four, six, whatever it takes."
Robbie Neilson watched it all unfold from the stand, after being sent there by referee Calum Murray for shouting something unsavoury in the direction of a nameless Rangers player. When I say the stand, what I really mean is that he located himself a matter of centimetres away from where he had been previously, as the Tynecastle stand starts just inches away from the technical area. The timing of his dismissal, just after the match official had ignored a Hearts' penalty claim against Cammy Bell, was illusory. The Hearts manager was simply upset about the referee missing foul play and will fight his case to ensure he isn't banned for the start of next season.
"To be honest I didn't think it was a penalty," he said. "But there were a few other things in the build up to that goal that were dubious to say the least. It is the first time I have been sent to the stand for shouting at an opposition player. I won't say who it was but it was one of the players who body checked one of my players who I thought was in a good position. But the way we did it today, it probably felt better than a victory."
Skipper Lee McCulloch, jeered by his own fans last week, dropped to the bench, although with Richard Foster tying up on his first appearance since February, it was his misfortune to be on the pitch when the two Hearts goals were conceded.
Hearts had nothing but pride at stake, but there was no shortage of edge here. Rangers substitute Bilel Mohsni was told by police and stewards to calm it when warming up, while Miller and Sam Nicholson had to be kept apart at half time. On the field, Spaniard Miguel Pallardo played in Jamie Walker, only for Cammy Bell to come up trumps. That save became crucial when Nicky Law levered over a free-kick, and Darren McGregor's header from six yards gave Scott Gallacher no chance.
Osman Sow was booked for diving but it was nothing to the controversy which surrounded the Swedish striker shortly afterwards, Bell diving full length but appearing to palm the ball away fairly. Play swept remorselessly to the other end, Foster played in a fine cross, and Miller knocked it in.
Zaliukas might have silenced the home fans further had his header from a Law corner not dropped wide, but Hearts had no intention of going through the motions. Instead Zeefuik manoeuvred his super size frame superbly to head in from a Morgaro Gomis cross, then kept his head in the penalty box to equalise with a low, left-foot drive. It was left to Wilson, who had an injury time headed chance to grab the winner, to sum up the match.
"I'm leaving friends behind but it has been a joy to be part of this team."
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