Derek McInnes will wake up on Monday morning with his men still in pole position in the William Hill Premiership, but Hearts’ head coach was left to rue sloppy defensive work as battling bottom-markers Livingston came from behind to grab a priceless point as they bid to beat the drop.
The result means long-time leaders Hearts have failed to win in their last four league games and that could derail their bid for a long-awaited title.
And the Jambos also have to deal with the red card issued to influential on-loan midfielder Marc Leonard who brought down substitute Robbie Muirhead deep in injury time after a slick spin on the half-way line.
Earlier, Stevie May fired the West Lothian combine ahead after five minutes, capitalising on slackness in Hearts’ backline to send the wall low into the bottom right-hand corner from the edge of the box, a fine strike.
That stunned the 7,000 travelling fans, who almost filled three sides of the Home of the Set Fare Arena, and put the visitors on the back foot.
Marvin Bartley’s side pressed hard, making life tough for the league pace-setters, but Lawrence Shankland headed the Gorgie men level from an area around the penalty spot after a pin-point cross from the right by busy Leonard. Livingston goalkeeper Jerome Prior had no chance. Time 24 minutes.
Claudia Braga netted after 51 minutes, heading home from close range after Shankland had nodded the ball across goal from the back post, and it looked as if Hearts had taken charge of the game at that point.
Livingston had set up to hit on the break, and they did that dangerously on several occasions. Indeed, their leveller after 58 minutes arrived when the Jambos were caught out and Lewis Smith, adjudged the home side’s Man of the Match, nudged the ball home from an angle after he was fed by Joel Nouble.
The 8,952 fans then had a nervous 30 minutes as both sparred for the winner, but it failed to materialise despite both sides making changes to their line-up.
The point means Hearts edged Rangers out of top spot in the 12-strong table and they lead the title race by a point as Rangers beat Dundee United at Ibrox on Saturday. Hearts have 67 points from 32 starts and the Ibrox men have 66 from the same number of games.
Hearts host Motherwell next Saturday (15.00) in their final league game before the split and Livingston travel to Dundee United (15,00), while Rangers go to the Falkirk Stadium on Sunday (12.00), but there was no disguising who was the happier manager after the skirmish in West Lothian which saw blue skies, sunshine, hail and snow during the 90-plus minutes.
McInnes felt that, at times, his men looked like a team who have topped the division for several months, but he added: “Both goals were poor to lose, but we go a point clear with six games to go and we’re going to give it a real go.”
Bartley told the media: “I thought the boys were brilliant today. I said that after the game. In the build-up to the game it was all about Hearts coming in with 7,000 fans and we were the also fans. I told them to make sure that does not happen. They turned up today and towards the end we tried to push for the winner.”
SHOW OF STRENGTH: Jambos fans before the kick-off at The Home of the Set Fare Arena. Picture Nigel Duncan
