Hearts restored their three-point lead at the top of the Scottish Premiership with a dramatic late victory over nine-man Hibernian in a chaotic Edinburgh derby at Easter Road.
Hibs made a flying start, taking the lead inside seven minutes through Martin Boyle, who marked his final derby appearance with a composed finish in a fiercely charged atmosphere.
But the game quickly turned on two moments of indiscipline.
Goalkeeper Raphael Sallinger was sent off for handling outside his area, and early in the second half Felix Passlack saw red for a second booking, leaving Hibs with nine men.
Despite their numerical advantage, Hearts struggled to break down a resilient Hibs side.
Substitute goalkeeper Jordan Smith produced a string of outstanding saves, while Marc Leonard struck the crossbar as frustration grew for the visitors.
The breakthrough finally came when Lawrence Shankland and Warren O’Hora combined in a scramble, with the ball eventually turned in for an own goal to level the match.
Hearts pushed relentlessly for a winner, and their persistence paid off late on when Blair Spittal’s low strike - aided by a deflection - found the net to spark wild celebrations among the away support.
The victory keeps Hearts clear at the summit, three points ahead of Celtic and four in front of Rangers, who slipped up earlier in the day.
For long periods, it felt like a matter of when - not if - Hearts would break through.
They dominated possession and territory but were repeatedly denied by heroic defending and Smith’s inspired goalkeeping.
Hibs’ resistance began to fade after Boyle’s departure, with their attacking outlet gone and pressure mounting. Eventually, the cracks appeared.
Hibs’ effort could not be faulted, but their own mistakes proved decisive.
Two red cards left them with an uphill battle, and while they defended bravely, the numerical disadvantage ultimately told.
It was a painful end for the hosts, who had briefly dared to believe they could hold on for a famous result.
For Hearts, however, it was another crucial step in a gripping title race - one defined by resilience, belief, and late drama.
Hearts head coach Derek McInnes: "Obviously, very unusual in the sense that you don't practice playing against nine men.
"When you need a big moment, your captain's there for you and we're so dependent on him, Lawrence Shankland and the bit of quality to get the equaliser. That came at the right time.
"It's all about can someone come up with the big moment? Blair Spittal scores goals like that every day in training. He's got such good quality of finishing. He should score more goals. A lot of people could slap that and snatch at it. He keeps his knee over the ball, stays calm, side foots it and it could be such an important goal."
Hibernian head coach David Gray: "Everything we knew it would. The start of the game was fast and frantic, nervy. If anything Hearts had the better of the opening five minutes. We were a bit rash.
"We find ourselves 1-0 up, brilliant. Then, we've beat ourselves, same as last week. It's very hard to win games of football with 11 men, especially against the team that are top of the league at the moment.
"One thing I can't fault, and I'm full of praise for, is the nine men on the pitch. They gave us everything, defended with their lives and restricted Hearts to little."
