Hearts 2 Ross County 2

But in football, the only investment that really counts is the one players put in ON the park.

And you’ll struggle to find a bunch of players who consistently give as much of themselves to a cause as County do.

That’s why they made it to a Scottish Cup Final. That’s why they’re playing in the top flight. That’s why, on days as tight as these, they’re the ones who pocket the dividends.

They might have been denied all three points when Jambos sub John Sutton spun and smashed an equaliser with the very last kick of the ball — but the boos that rang from three sides of Tynecastle when the final whistle went seconds later told you that the home punters weren’t fooled.

In the week when Vladimir Romanov offered them the chance to buy ten per cent of his stake in the club, their struggling heroes looked far more likely to sell the jerseys.

Leading by an Arvydas Novikovas goal and with the Highlanders on the ropes, John McGlynn’s men got slack and were picked off by opposition who always looked that bit more assured.

County skipper Richie Brittain slotted the equaliser from he spot, Suart Kettlewell hit as crisp as second goal as you could hope to see and the fact that a 12,000 crowd was down by about two-thirds of that by the time Sutton rescued a draw speaks volumes.

Novikovas had always looked the most likely — well, the ONLY one likely — to break through for he Jambos.

A couple of surging runs early on put County on the back foot. His quick-thinking short corner let Danny Grainger whip in a cross that first Andrew Driver and then Ryan McGowan tried and failed to force past Michael Fraser.

And five minutes from the break, just when County looked comfortable, the Lithuanian’s darting run behind Marc Fitzpatrick was perfect to meet an angled pass from Marius Zaliukas and suddenly the posts opened wide.

Fraser was off his line like a whippet and spread himself to get a touch — but was left looking over his shoulder in anguish as the ball spun crazily off the turf and crept inside his right-hand post.

Less than three minutes after the break, it looked as if Novikovas had struck again. This time, he did so well to drag the ball into his path after Driver’s pass went behind, but just as Tynecastle rose to celebrate, Fraser stuck out a leg and turned his low shot behind.

Hearts sensed this was their time to put the game to bed. They stormed forward in numbers and County were toiling to cope, every clearance coming back at them quicker than the last.

One thing you can always be sure of with the team Derek Adams built, though — they’ll never give up.

Calmly, they picked their way to the edge of he box, where Brittain hung up a cross for Kettlewell. In came Andy Webster like a bull, clattering his man in the back and leaving ref Craig Charleston with the easiest penalty shout he’ll ever have to make.

Up shuffled skipper Brittain, slotting the ball to MacDonald’s right while the keeper went left and it was game on.

The Jambos could have been ahead again almost immediately when Fraser’s kickout was nodded back over the top and Callum Paterson raced away from a flat-footed back four, but as red shirts puffed in his wake, the youngster dragged his drive weakly wide.

Then Fraser could only parry a real stinging long-range effort from Ryan Stevenson and Driver slashed the rebound high and wide.

Fraser was playing a bigger and bigger role the longer it went and with 22 minutes left he showed terrific reactions to keep out Paterson’s twisting volley from another excellent bit of work from Novikovas.

That was the signal for John McGlynn to send on Sutton as a second striker. The surprise was that it was Novikovas who went off, just when he was flying. The natives were getting mighty restless. And 14 minutes from time, they were furious.

Once again, County tip-toed forward with a series of neat passes to put Kettlewell in on the edge of the box. Brittain sprinted past on his outside, calling for the pass — and that broke the home defence’s concentration long enough for Kettlewell to smash low past MacDonald’s right hand.

When Fraser made yet another terrific save, this time from Sutton’s drive, it looked like their first-ever league clash with Hearts would end in a historic win.

So no wonder they were so angry with themselves when one last hoof forward caught them square and Sutton cashed in.