HEARTS head-coach Graham Rix yesterday saluted his side's ability to dig out a result from what he admitted had been a must-win game.

The 3-2 win over bottom-of-the-table Livingston keeps Hearts in second place in the league, and re-asserts the Tynecastle side's eight-point advantage over Rangers. This might have been cut to just six had substitute Roman Bednar not scored a well-taken winner with just three minutes remaining.

Rix later revealed the players had been reminded of the need to gain all three points from yesterday's televised fixture, and their desperate late rally suggested that the message had been received loud and clear.

"After Saturday's results we needed to win," he said, having twice watched his side let slip a lead against a determined Livingston. "We made the boys aware of that. They understood the situation.

"It was a tough game - they [Livingston] are fighting for their lives. Robbo [manager John Robertson] had them fired up, but overall I thought we deserved the three points."

This claim was later contested by Robertson. The new Livingston manager felt his team had done enough to justify at least a draw, although he seemed aghast they had not actually won.

He was rightly proud of Livingston's efforts. Had it not been for two fine saves by Hearts goalkeeper Craig Gordon from Allan Walker, Livingston could this morning have stood just four points behind 11th-placed Dunfermline, rather than seven.

"Football can be cruel at times - very cruel," lamented Robertson. "I thought we were magnificent from start to finish. If we can continue like that then we have a real chance."

The difference between the resources of the two clubs was emphasised in the team-lines, which saw Livingston unable to fill each available place on the bench due to injury and suspension.

Hearts, by contrast, had a range of options when pondering who replaced injured skipper Steven Pressley, and the suspended pair Paul Hartley and Julien Brellier. "We looked at who might come in to replace them," said Robertson, referring to his tactical deliberations before the match. "There were 27 possibilities."

In the end Hearts plumped for Christophe Berra, Martin Petras and man-of-the-match Bruno Aguiar. They contributed to a vital Hearts victory, and one which wards off the challenge of Rangers and Hibs for a further week. It also cuts Celtic's lead at the top of the table down to 13 points.

"If Rangers and Hibs had lost on Saturday, we'd still have been under pressure to get a result," said Rix. "It wasn't free-flowing, but we dug in and matched Livingston. You have to come to places like this and grind out a result if you want to be in contention.

"The most pleasing thing is that in the last five minutes we managed to kill the game, because that's something we have had to work on."

Taken from the Scotsman