Hearts produced a stunning late turnaround, scoring twice in the final five minutes to defeat Motherwell and maintain their three-point lead at the top of the Scottish Premiership.
Derek McInnes’ side looked set for a frustrating afternoon at Tynecastle when Emmanuel Longelo fired Motherwell ahead shortly after the break, putting an end to Hearts’ hopes of extending their impressive 19-game unbeaten home run without a fight.
With Celtic winning elsewhere, Hearts were at risk of being pulled level at the summit - and potentially overtaken by Rangers - but a spirited late surge ensured they stayed in control of the title race.
Claudio Braga sparked the comeback with a spectacular overhead kick just after the hour mark, with the goal confirmed following a VAR check.
The momentum shifted, but Motherwell still had chances to regain the lead, only to be denied by poor finishing.
The decisive moment came five minutes from time when Lawrence Shankland calmly converted a penalty after a high boot in the box.
Moments later, Pierre Landry Kabore sealed the victory with a composed finish, putting the result beyond doubt.
Although Kabore had another effort ruled out for offside in stoppage time, Hearts had already done enough to secure a crucial three points.
Both sides created opportunities in an open and entertaining contest.
Hearts threatened early through Shankland and Braga, while goalkeeper Calum Ward recovered from an early mistake to make a superb save from close range.
At the other end, Alexander Schwolow was called into action with impressive stops to deny Elliot Watt and Ibrahim Said from distance.
Motherwell looked the more fluid side for large parts and took the lead when Longelo finished from close range after Tawanda Maswanhise’s low cross.
They had chances to extend their advantage, with Longelo and Elijah just both missing good opportunities, while Maswanhise came closest to sealing the win but fired narrowly wide after a brilliant run.
Despite the pressure, Hearts demonstrated resilience and belief to turn the game around late on.
Braga once again proved decisive - his goals this season continuing to deliver vital points - while Shankland’s leadership from the spot and Kabore’s clinical finish completed the comeback.
Motherwell, meanwhile, are now without a win in five matches but remain fourth in the table, still holding a cushion over their nearest challengers.
For Hearts, the victory ensures they will head into the league split still on top - and firmly in control of their title destiny.
Hearts head coach Derek McInnes: "They caused us a bit of anxiety with their speed, but I thought our shape was a good and we shaded the first half.
"When we went 1-0 down, we had a lot of work to do and it was important we stayed calm. I wasn't sure about the penalty, but everyone who's seen it back says it is, he gets kicked in the head.
"We've managed to beat a good team by digging deep and showing our motivation. The fans stayed with us, the players stayed with each other."
Motherwell manager Jens Berthel Askou: "It took us 10-15 minutes to decide how we dealt with that [Hearts' tactics] and from there I thought we got more and more control of the game.
"They had their moments, especially on set plays, but in second half we started bright and we took control and created moments when we had to.
"I thought we were on top and the better team and then we didn't take the moments we had."
