Hearts' grip on the Scottish Premiership summit loosened on Saturday as they were held to a frustrating 0-0 draw by a resilient Motherwell side at Fir Park.
Schwolow the Saviour for Stuttering Hearts
The league leaders had their goalkeeper, Alexander Schwolow, to thank for securing a point away from home. The Jambos' number one produced a man-of-the-match performance, making five crucial saves to deny a dominant Motherwell attack during a late onslaught.
Motherwell's pressure was so intense that they even had two goals disallowed for offside, adding to the visitors' relief at the final whistle. This result means Hearts have now dropped points for a third consecutive game, a worrying trend for manager Derek McInnes.
Celtic Looming with Games in Hand
While the draw edges Hearts five points clear at the top, the situation is precarious. Their closest rivals, Celtic, have two games in hand and can slash the deficit to just two points if they secure a victory over Hibernian on Sunday.
This sets up a tense title race, with Hearts' recent stumbles offering a significant opportunity for the chasing pack.
Dundee Secure Vital Victory
In the day's other Premiership fixture, Dundee ended a run of four straight defeats with a spirited 3-1 comeback win over St Mirren at home.
St Mirren took an early lead through Mikael Mandron, but the match turned before half-time. Dundee drew level thanks to an own goal from Alex Gogic before Drey Wright put them ahead, his strike taking a fortunate deflection off the woodwork.
As St Mirren pushed for an equaliser, they were caught on the break, with Joe Westley sealing the three points for Steven Pressley's side with a brilliant 87th-minute strike into the top corner. The victory sees Dundee leapfrog St Mirren into ninth place in the table.
