Clockwatch: Hearts edge nine-man Hibs after Rangers lose to Motherwell – as it happened

Scottish Premiership as their 16-game unbeaten run comes to a close. Emmanuel Longelo has been a menace for Motherwell.

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Motherwell desperately defend as Mikey Moore just can’t find the winner and then they go up the other end and land the most brutal sucker punch as Emmanuel Longelo races through for his second of the game, a shot that deflects in off the head of Emmanuel Fernandez, in the last minute of normal time. Seven minutes added time for Rangers to try and find an equaliser.

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Big boost for Rangers as Martin Boyle steals in at the back post for Hibs and taps in from a free kick in the eighth minute.

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All square. Youssef Chermiti doubles up with a soaring header. The set piece comes into the back post and is headed across goal and Chermiti heads home in the 70th minute. What a game!

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The changes have done something as Youssef Chermiti finishes a lovey flowing move from Rangers. The striker is one-on-one with Calum Ward and beats the keeper for a perfect start to the second half.

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WSL

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  Liverpool 0-1 West Ham

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West Ham take a massive step toward safety with a brilliant defensive display on the road. Leicester on the brink and then some after being thrashed 5-1 by London City earlier.

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Scottish Premiership

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  Dundee United 3-0 Dundee

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Will Ferry’s on fire as he bags a double and has now scored four in four games for United.

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Serie A

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  Genoa 0-2 Como

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Como put pressure on Juve in the chase for Champions League. The Old Lady are in action away at Milan tonight at 7.45pm (GMT).

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How about this then. Emmanuel Longelo doubles Motherwell’s lead in the 26th minute with a fine finish at the back post. The away side are cutting Rangers to pieces. Motherwell in complete control and the atmosphere is turning sour at Ibrox.

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Championship

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  Coventry 3-1 Wrexham

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Wrexham are soundly beaten by the champions and are hanging on to the final playoff spot by a single goal on goal difference now.

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WSL

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  Everton 1-4 Chelsea

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  London City 5-1 Leicester

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  Tottenham 0-0 Manchester United

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Chelsea secure an important win for their Champions League ambitions while London City thrash a Leicester side staring at relegation. Manchester United’s own European dreams take a hit after a bore draw.

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Ephron Mason-Clark applies the finishing touch. He gets in behind the defence on the left runs in and slots it home. Cool as you like. Our Sky Sports commentator pats himself on the back for just giving Mason-Clark the player of the match award saying, “he’s just put the cherry on top of the icing on top of the cake”. Hasn’t he just?

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Striker! Coventry’s Victor Torp beats Danny Ward with an absolutely beautiful dipping free-kick. Not in the left corner but the keeper can’t handle the pace with which Torp steams it from flying over to cutting just under the bar. Gorgeous goal to take the lead.

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Good morning, and welcome. Saturday was a big day in the Premier League, and in the FA Cup. We will have all the reaction here. Sunday is all about Chelsea v Leeds, about as evocative an FA Cup tie as there can be, In Scotland, Hibs v Hearts, an Edinburgh derby with so much riding on it, 40 years of hurt in the Jambos’ case.

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That and all the morning news, as it happens. Join me.

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Match report

Here’s our first take on events this afternoon; Ewan Murray’s verdict from Easter Road will follow shortly.

“Unusual way to win a game, it’s hard to play against a team that’s two light,” says the Hearts manager, Derek McInnes. “I thought we stayed calm, stayed disciplined – I thought the work rate Hibs put in was sensational. To win any derby, you have to do a lot right, but I think we just about deserved it. What an important goal that could be.”

Here’s how the table looks after today’s results …

Pos	Team	P	GD	Pts
1	Hearts	34	31	73
2	Celtic	34	26	70
3	Rangers	34	34	69
4	Motherwell	34	24	57
5	Hibernian	34	13	51
6	Falkirk	34	-5	46
7	Dundee Utd	34	-6	43
8	Aberdeen	34	-14	36
9	Dundee	34	-22	33
10	St Mirren	34	-23	30
11	Kilmarnock	34	-29	28
12	Livingston	34	-29	19

Full time: Hibernian 1-2 Hearts

Blair Spittal’s first goal of the season earns Hearts a priceless derby win. Hibernian led early on but picked up two red cards, and couldn’t hold on. Hearts go three points clear of Celtic, and four above Rangers.

Time almost up at Easter Road, where Islam Chesnokov is on for Hearts. The four minutes are likely to be extended, as both sets of players skirmish down by the corner flag.

“One of the most interesting sub plots in this season’s remarkable Scottish title race is how fans of the teams not directly involved feel about it all,” writes Simon McMahon. “Celtic and Rangers fans were united in backing Hibs to hold on, while Celtic and Hearts followers were Motherwell supporters earlier. Both Glasgow teams have still to play both Edinburgh teams before the season ends – a few twists and turns yet before the season ends.”

There will be four added minutes, but Hibernian are out on their feet – it’s hard to see how they can conjure an equaliser with nine men.

GOAL! Hibernian 1-2 Hearts (Spittal 86')

But now they have the breakthrough! Blair Spittal is in the right place to meet Kerjota’s cutback, drilling the ball inside the near post. The away fans behind the goal go wild, as well they might.

Hibernian 1-1 Hearts: Five minutes to go at Easter Road, and Hearts are seeking that killer pass – but it’s tricky with all eight outfield Hibs players packed into the penalty area …

A quick catch-up around Europe: Inter lead Torino 1-0 as they close on the Serie A title, while Dortmund lead Freiburg 3-0 in the Bundesliga. In Ligue 1, a wild game has just finished Le Havre 4-4 Metz. The visitors would have been relegated with a defeat, but as it is, they cling on for another week.

Hearts are pressing with everything they’ve got, and have a corner with 12 minutes to go. As it stands, they will be top, a point above Celtic and two clear of Rangers – but they will desperately want to claim an extra two points.

Thanks, Graham. A big 20 minutes coming up in the Scottish title race …

Hibernian 1-1 Hearts: Before the equaliser Hibernian had made a triple change to bring on some fresh legs with Suto, Newell and Campbell coming on for Boyle, Barlaser and McGrath.

On the subject of fresh legs, that is me done for they day and I am cooked after this frantic, fantastic Scottish Premiership title race action. Super sub Niall McVeigh will steer you home in this humdinger.

GOAL! Hibernian 1-1 Hearts

Like I say, it was coming. Hardly surprising considering the two-man advantage but Sabah Kerjota fires a bullet cross across the face of goal from the right and the ball squirms off Lawrence Shankland and hits Hibernian’s Warren O’Hara and goes in. Possibly an own goal. Definitely an equaliser. 25 minutes for Hearts to find a winner. Must feel like 25 hours for Hibs.

Hibernian 1-0 Hearts: Oh my! Marc Leonard strikes an absolute beauty on the stroke of 60 minutes and it clatters back off the bar. So close to the equaliser. It’s coming …

Hibernian 1-0 Hearts: The brave defending continues as a tame effort is beaten back and then Jordan Smith pushes one wide. The resulting corner is dealt with fairly comfortably. The energy at Easter Road is absolutely rocking. As 1-0’s go this is about as exciting as it could possibly get. Bring on the final 30 minutes. Hearts bring on Kyziridis for Kaboré and earlier Kerjota was brought on for Altena. Hibs meanwhile took Elding off for Megwa after the second red card.

Hibernian 1-0 Hearts: The away side are camped in the Hibs box and knock it around smoothly until Claudio Braga latches on to a pass and is clean through only for Jordan Smith to make the brilliant save.

RED CARD (again)! Hibs 1-0 Hearts

Hibs are down to nine (9) men. The defender Felix Passlack catches Beni Baningime with a flailing leg and is shown a second yellow card. There is stupid and there is Hibs’ start to the second half. Hey they could still pull this off. Backs are about to be against walls.

Hibernian 1-0 Hearts: While I get down to some premium tier Gaga, the second half is rolling. Can Hearts turn this around and capitalise on Rangers’ slip? Let us all find out together.

Half-time musings on the action at Easter Road take a critical turn.

Euan writes, “I know there is undoubted romance in having Hibs and Hearts in their own kits. But I’m colour blind, just like 1 in 12 blokes, and red vs green tops are more or less indistinguishable. The Premier League has, to their credit, addressed this in recent years - seems like the Scottish Premiership have some work to do. We all love a dash of romance in a derby but it seems a shame to make it unwatchable for some of us.”

Martin Boyle’s goal for Hibernian is a picture.

Serie A: Inter edge to all-but title winner territory as Marcus Thuram puts them one up away at Torino. I believe, if they beat Torino, then a single point from their remaining four games seals a 21st Scudetto. Half an hour gone.

Half-time: Hibernian 1-0 Hearts

Pulsating Edinburgh derby unfolding as Hibs have the advantage on the scoresheet through Martin Boyle but are rather disadvantaged by having their keeper Raphael Sallinger sent off.

Hibernian 1-0 Hearts: Hustle and bustle before half-time as the referee pops his yellow card about in the melee. Stephen Kinglsey booked for Hearts and Felix Passlack for Hibs. Warren O’Hara also cautioned for the home side shortly before. Kinglsey picks up a dangerous free-kick on the left and it comes in but the ball comes screaming out to the halfway line.

Hibernian 1-0 Hearts: Seven (7) minutes added on in the first half here after the goalkeeping fiasco earlier. Plenty of time for Hearts to keep pushing. They flick a pass to Kaboré in the box but he can’t latch on.

Hibernian 1-0 Hearts: Braga controls a cross in the box and attempts some of the acrobatic stuff for Hearts. Unfortunately it soars into the stands.

Hibernian 1-0 Hearts: Marc Leonard swings a dangerous corner in and Pierre Landry Kaboré glances it into the six-yard box but Hibs make the clearance.

Hibernian 1-0 Hearts: In the Edinburgh derby Hearts are pressing but fierce defending from Hibs is keeping them out … until a Stephen Kinglsey cross finds Cláudio Bravo in the box but his header goes over the bar. 11 minutes to go in the first half.

Full time: Rangers 2-3 Motherwell

The final whistle blows after 100 barnstorming minutes as Motherwell take a huge bite out of Rangers’ title hopes. The home side stay third and fail to take a chance to go top of the Scottish Premiership as their 16-game unbeaten run comes to a close. Emmanuel Longelo has been a menace for Motherwell.

Rangers 2-3 Motherwell: What a save! Motherwell goalkeeper Calum Ward denies a Chermiti hat-trick when it was easier to score. Unbelievable.

GOAL! Rangers 2-3 Motherwell

Motherwell desperately defend as Mikey Moore just can’t find the winner and then they go up the other end and land the most brutal sucker punch as Emmanuel Longelo races through for his second of the game, a shot that deflects in off the head of Emmanuel Fernandez, in the last minute of normal time. Seven minutes added time for Rangers to try and find an equaliser.

Rangers 2-2 Motherwell: As we approach added time Motherwell’s Emmanuel Longelo pulls a shot wide but is aggrieved as he feels he was fouled during the shot. Nothing given.

Our fitba correspondent of the day Simon comes back on the title race:

“If anyone says they know who’s winning this Scottish Premier title race, they’re either a fool or a liar. It’s as unpredictable as, well, something very unpredictable. Like a randomiser, or an American president.”

Not half. Meanwhile Hearts blaze the free-kick over from the edge of the box.

Hibernian 1-0 Hearts: After just 15 minutes gone goalkeeper Jordan Smith comes on for Nicky Cadden. Long, long way to go with only 10 men.