THE battle for second place in the league could go all the way to the final day of the season.

The post-split fixtures, which were released last night, see Rangers host Hearts in the final round of matches on May 7 but the Tynecastle players are determined to have the matter sewn up before then.
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With just five games left, Hearts sit three points ahead of the Ibrox challengers, with a vastly superior goal difference, and after easing to a 4-0 home victory over Dunfermline yesterday, defender Robbie Neilson is confident that they can retain their Champions League spot.

"We're well ahead on goal difference and that is like an extra point to us although hopefully it won't come down to that in the end," he said. "If we can play the way we've played in the last three games, hopefully we can go there with at least a four-point lead and the game won't matter. Our aim is to get second place as soon as we can. Look at Celtic, they've won the league already so there is not so much pressure on them so the sooner we can get second place the better for us."

The capital side will play Kilmarnock at Tynecastle next weekend, before the trip to Easter Road for the final derby of the season the following week. They then have the advantage of back-to-back home games against Celtic and then Aberdeen before travelling to Ibrox.

Prior to the final-day match-up, Rangers, who beat Motherwell 1-0 yesterday to keep the pressure on Valdas Ivanauskas' side, have just one home game - against Aberdeen next week - before hitting the road to face Celtic, Kilmarnock and Hibs. Despite the fact Rangers have managed to stage last-gasp salvation jobs in the past, pipping Celtic to the title twice on the final day in recent years, Neilson says there will be no panic in the Hearts ranks.

He laughed off suggestions made last week that the players may not have the bottle for the fight, saying: "Some people have been trying to play some mind games but we are still three points ahead so we don't need to worry.

"I'm sure they would rather have it the other way about. We know that we are going to have to go there [Ibrox] but it's a nice big pitch and we've played well the past few times we've been there and, if we have to, we're confident of going there and winning."

Taken from the Scotsman