Second place will be sewn up before ‘decider’, insists Bednar

The post-split fixtures were announced on Saturday and the SPL have paired Hearts and Rangers on May 7.

"The first half was unbelievable. If we keep playing like this – no chance, Rangers," said Bednar, who scored his fifth goal of the season on Saturday as Hearts overwhelmed Dunfermline 4-0. "Everybody playing pass and move, everybody playing like this – I think second place will be for us.

"We hope it will be over by the time we got to Ibrox, because it's very dangerous playing for second place at Ibrox.

"Before the game we got together and said we needed the three points, and everybody believed.

"I think it would be fantastic for the support [if Hearts made the Champions League]. It's always Celtic or Rangers. If a smaller club got in, it would be great for everyone."

Alex McLeish, the Rangers manager, hopes his side's good away form will help them clinch second spot.

He said: "It looks as if we've been handed a tough one with three away games sandwiched in between two home games. But we'll get on with it because we've shown a lot of character in the face of adversity, stress and criticism this year.

"Our away form has been quite good, so we have to be positive. We've done extremely well to get it back to three points after what has been quite a traumatic season. Everybody has shown, after a sticky spell, a lot of bravery and resilience."

Valdas Ivanuskas, Hearts' interim head coach, says he is not even thinking of the last game of the season.

"There are four games to go before that. It's a long way,"

he said. "You don't know what injuries or suspensions we may have, and so we are only looking forward to the game against Kilmarnock next week."

Post-split fixtures

Saturday, 15 April
Falkirk v Dunfermline
Hearts v Kilmarnock
Livingston v Dundee Utd
Motherwell v Inverness CT
Rangers v Aberdeen

Sunday, 16 April
Celtic v Hibernian

Saturday, 22 April
Aberdeen v Kilmarnock
Dunfermline v Livingston
Falkirk v Motherwell Hibernian v Hearts
Inverness CT v Dundee Utd

Sunday, 23 April
Celtic v Rangers

Saturday, 29 April
Aberdeen v Hibernian
Dundee Utd v Falkirk
Kilmarnock v Rangers
Livingston v Inverness CT
Motherwell v Dunfermline

Sunday, 30 April
Hearts v Celtic

Tuesday 2 May
Dundee Utd v Dunfermline
Hibernian v Rangers

Wednesday, 3 May
Celtic v Kilmarnock
Hearts v Aberdeen
Inverness CT v Falkirk
Livingston v Motherwell

Saturday, 6 May
Dunfermline v
Inverness CT
Falkirk v Livingston
Motherwell v Dundee Utd

Sunday, 7 May
Aberdeen v Celtic
Kilmarnock v Hibernian
Rangers v Hearts

Taken from the Herald