Hearts in driving seat, but Rangers poised as finishing line approaches

WITH only three games to go, you might expect the fight for second place in the SPL to be straightforward, but in reality it is anything but. Thanks in part to the fact that, with a win worth three points, a draw effectively means the loss of two, a number of twists could yet occur in what might normally be regarded as a race down the home straight.

For Hearts, whose lead over Rangers was reduced to four points on Sunday when the Old Firm match ended in a draw, second spot and the Champions League slot which goes with it are almost within reach. Their defeat by Hibs has not killed off the possibility of their wrapping it up this Sunday, when they face Celtic at home. The only difference because of that 2-1 loss is that Rangers now also have to lose to Kilmarnock on Saturday.

Because of their superior goal difference, Hearts could even claim second without winning another match. Three draws would be enough, even if Rangers won their other two matches, provided Alex McLeish's side do not wipe out their 13-goal disadvantage while beating Kilmarnock and Hibs.

However, Rangers can also find that matters are in their own hands by Sunday evening. If they win and Hearts either lose or draw this weekend, two more victories will be all they require.

"It's still four points to catch Hearts, and I believe things could get twitchy in the last three games," Alex McLeish said. "All the clubs are capable of taking points off each other."

McLeish and some of his players have tried to pile the pressure on Hearts over the past couple of weeks, but it was simply poor play rather than nerves which cost the Edinburgh team the match on Saturday. Or at least, poor play and a few curious selections.

Hearts' aim will be to wrap up the race before they visit Ibrox on the last day of the league season. They reserved one of their poorest performances of this campaign for their previous visit to Ibrox, and, while they are unlikely to play so badly again, they will surely not travel there in confident mood if they need a win or even a draw.

Saturday notwithstanding, they have been a more assertive side since Valdas Ivanauskas took over as coach from the over-cautious Graham Rix. They have not beaten Celtic so far this season, but they believe their New Year's Day loss was the one that got away - from 2-0 up they went down 3-2 - and will be determined to rectify that perceived injustice on Sunday.

Hibs, meanwhile, can secure fourth place this weekend if they beat Aberdeen and Kilmarnock lose to Rangers - a combination of results which would give Tony Mowbray's team an insuperable seven-point lead over their Ayrshire adversaries. If that happens, they would then have very little to play for a week tonight when they are at home to Rangers.

Indeed, conspiracy theorists with a leaning towards Tynecastle would point out that, once they sew up fourth place, Hibs' sole remaining interest in the league will be a desire for Rangers to finish second. Only that, plus a Hearts victory in the Scottish Cup final against Gretna, would give Hibs a UEFA Cup place next season.

But the circumstances at Easter Road next Tuesday will be markedly different from the final game of last season, when Mowbray's team settled for a 1-0 defeat. Whatever they do in seven days, Hibs will be unable to take control of their own fate: a year ago, conversely, they accepted the narrow loss knowing that, barring a late goal-rush by Aberdeen against Hearts, it would be enough to take them into Europe.

In that sense, losing to Rangers in a single match gave Hibs a victory over the season. Being beaten next Tuesday will not guarantee them anything.

By contrast, having wrapped up the title already, Celtic know that being beaten in all three of their remaining games can do them no ill beyond denting their pride. That pride, however, means a lot to them, as Neil Lennon said yesterday as he reflected on Sunday's goalless draw.

"Our job has been done," the Parkhead skipper said. "But pride is a very important thing and we don't want to get beat. In the first half against Rangers, we were pretty much in control, but maybe fatigue set in. It was always going to be subdued, but Rangers were the team with something to play for.

"They won't be happy with the point, but basically we have to look after ourselves. And we have to make sure we keep our run going to the end of the season.

"Maybe we have taken our foot off the gas a bit in the last few weeks, but we still want this unbeaten run to continue."

Certainly, Gordon Strachan, the Celtic manager, is showing no sign of letting his side relax any more. He gave his players four days off to allow them to recharge the batteries, but admitted that might have been a mistake.

"On this evidence, maybe that was too much time off for them," he said. And, on the evidence of that attitude, Hearts can expect no favours from Celtic on Sunday.