Celtic all but ended the Ibrox side’s title hopes yesterday, if we move above them on Wednesday, we’ll stay there

Three draws in their last four fixtures has ultimately finished the Ibrox side’s title hopes, if Celtic can win at Pittodrie on Wednesday night, they’ll drop to third in the table.

The likelihood is that they’ll stay there.

The funny thing about it is that we’ve dropped five points in our last two fixtures, yet we’re still alive in this race, barely.

The reality is that Hearts destiny is now in their own hands.

And the way that they’ve been playing, their next three fixtures are all winnable ones, but we have to hope Motherwell can do us a favour on the 11th of April at Tynecastle.

The fact of the matter is that yesterday’s result was ideal for both Hearts and Motherwell.

It didn’t really benefit either ourselves or the Ibrox side.

If we win our game in hand on Wednesday night at Pittodrie, we move to within 5 points of Hearts, and 1 point more than the Ibrox side, moving us into second.

Hard to believe when you consider how many points Celtic have dropped in the last two games.

Motherwell can also move to within a point of the Ibrox side if they win their game in hand.

They will have a big say in the outcome of this title race too.

As for the game itself?

We were lucky to get a draw, but as I had said on last week’s Trinity Tims podcast, I would take a draw.

Joe had pretty much the same opinion as me.

We were pulverised in the first half, and it seemed to me that Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was a bit overawed by the whole occasion.

I had expected a bit more from him.

Chermiti’s first goal was fairly spectacular, and if the Ibrox side had managed to win the game, they would have claimed as their Henrik Larsson chip moment.

The way things were going in the first half, we were very lucky not to find ourselves on the end of a hiding.

They came at us in waves, and when the second goal came, it was no surprise.

Dane Murray had another brutal moment similar to what he did at Tynecastle last October, and Chermiti was in once again, with a deft touch past Araujo, and a deft finish to boot.

After that, it looked as if the flood gates could open on Celtic.

But we seemed to weather the storm, and also the early second half storm.

Martin O’Neill’s second half substitutions made a huge difference.

I’ll admit I was dismayed when I saw Hatate coming on.

But then something happened that we haven’t seen all season, Hatate showed up, and he showed us what he’s capable of.

He led the fight back, and when he stepped up to take the penalty, I hid my head in my hands.

There was no doubting it was a penalty, and when Beaton went to the monitor, he looked utterly dejected when he knew he had to award it.

I said to mate that it would be tame, to Butland’s right, and Butland would save it.

That’s exactly what happened, but I didn’t expect what happened afterwards to happen.

At the outset of the game, I told my mate at my CSC I’d take a draw, and I predicted 2-2.

I got that much spot on.

We’re not out of this, not by a long shot.

From here on out, it now depends on who’s got the nerve for this.

We’ve been over this course many times before, Hearts haven’t.

There’s no doubt this will go down to the wire.

But the only way we remain in this is by winning on Wednesday night.

Do that much, and we are still very much in this.

As for the Ibrox side?

I don’t see them coming back from yesterday.

They just don’t seem to have the bottle for a title fight.

Key Takeaways

• The Ibrox side’s title hopes have diminished after three draws in four matches, especially if Celtic wins at Pittodrie.
• Hearts now control their own destiny with winnable fixtures ahead, while Motherwell can challenge the Ibrox side’s position with a win.
• Celtic struggled but managed to secure a draw, with key moments affecting the game’s outcome, including crucial substitutions.
• Despite a difficult start, Celtic showed resilience, and Hatate emerged as a standout player during the second half.
• The upcoming match will be crucial for Celtic to stay competitive, while the Ibrox side seems unlikely to recover from their recent performance.