Hearts manager Derek McInnes praised his team's character after they twice came from behind to draw 2-2 with Celtic at Tynecastle, a result that kept them four points clear of Rangers at the top of the Scottish Premiership. The draw, secured by Cláudio Braga's late equaliser, maintained Hearts' lead over Celtic, who played the final 21 minutes with 10 men after Auston Trusty's red card.
Celtic took the lead through Benjamin Nygren's free-kick, but Hearts equalised when Stuart Findlay headed in from a corner. Yang Hyun-jun restored Celtic's advantage after a swift counter-attack, but Braga scored with four minutes remaining to earn a point. Blair Spittal almost won it for Hearts in stoppage time, but his shot hit the crossbar.
McInnes expressed disappointment that his side did not claim all three points, given their dominance in the second half. 'It's not the worst point when you come from behind twice, but I still feel there was something more out there for us,' he said. 'The fact there's a disappointed dressing room in there illustrates how far we've come.'
The match was marred by a heated exchange between the coaching staffs after Nygren's opener, with McInnes taking exception to celebrations from the Celtic bench. 'It was nothing to do with Martin or Shaun,' McInnes said, referring to Celtic manager Martin O'Neill and assistant Shaun Maloney. 'One of their inexperienced coaches got a bit carried away.'
Hearts had several chances to win, with Alexandros Kyziridis missing two clear opportunities. The hosts also had a penalty appeal turned down when Trusty fouled Pierre Landry Kaboré, initially receiving a yellow card before a VAR review upgraded it to a red. McInnes remained upbeat about the title race, saying his team are confident and enjoying the challenge.
