Scottish title race: Derek McInnes defends Hearts’ chances, ‘simple’ what Celtic must do says Martin O’Neill | Football News

Derek McInnes said league leaders Hearts remain in a “strong position” despite missing the opportunity to move three points clear at the top of the table with their 2-2 draw at bottom side Livingston.

The gap between the top three was reduced to three points with Celtic’s late 2-1 win at Dundee later on Sunday, after second-placed Rangers had made hard work of seeing off Dundee United at Ibrox on Saturday to briefly top the table for the first time in two years.

Hearts’ destiny remains in their own hands with six games left of the season, and face Motherwell next weekend in their last game before the split.

McInnes’ side enjoyed far larger leads earlier in the season but after dropping points for the second away game in a row, he insisted the club still has a good chance of lifting a first top-fight title in 66 years.

“We’re still in a strong position,” he said after their draw at Livingston. “We’ve now got three games at home of the last six, but there’s no doubting that the next time we go away from home, we’re going to have to make sure we defend a lot better than we did today.”

Celtic’s hopes of winning the league for the fifth year in a row looked to be in tatters after a 2-0 defeat at Dundee United before the international break, but Kelechi Ineahacho’s winner at Dens Park lifted them back three points off the top – with both of their title rivals to play in the final weeks of the season.

The Hoops’ afternoon should have been much easier but for a number of missed chances with Czech forward Tomas Cvancara particularly culpable of failing to build on Hyun-Jun Wang’s early opener.

O’Neill singled out his side’s profligacy in front of goal as the biggest hurdle on their title charge.

“It’s going to be as simple as this – we will, obviously, create chances. It’s a matter of taking them and then defending strongly,” he told Sky Sports after Sunday’s victory.

“You can have all the midfield play you want, but at the end of the day we will have to take our chances.

“We cannot afford to go through another half like this year, miss the number of chances we have then expect it to work out for us.”

Danny Rohl urged his side to “remain the hunter” after they briefly reached the Premiership summit on Saturday, for the first time since February 2024.

The German was left shocked to hear Rangers had not topped the table in so long but re-affirmed that the Gers had achieved “nothing” with six games remaining.

“I was really surprised that this is the first time we’ve been top in two years,” he said. “But the most important thing is that we still have the right mindset.

“We have to stay as the hunter. We have to be on the front foot and if we win six games then we will have something at the end of the season.

“I am really convinced that my players have the potential to do this. But there is still a long way to go and it’s no secret that next week away to Falkirk is a very difficult game.

“We will take things step by step, but we had nine ‘finals’ and we have won the first three of them. That gives us a good feeling, but nothing more. We have to be humble and ready for the next fight.”

McFadden: Impossible to predict title race

Former Scotland and Motherwell striker James McFadden told Sky Sports it was impossible to predict the title race despite Hearts leading for all but one day since late September – with each of the top three having dropped at least four points in the last five games.

“You’re looking at Hearts, expecting them to win comfortably at Livingston,” he said. “They’re in a great position, they get pegged back and draw the game.

“Rangers, people expect them to win at Ibrox. Celtic, you weren’t sure whether you were going to get a performance or purely a result. You got the result and there were good elements of the performance, there’s still things to improve upon.

“It just shows you that you still don’t know. You could make a prediction every week and get it wrong.”