Scottish Premier League/Hearts - 1 Rangers - 0: The legendary Dave Mackay allowed himself a jig of delight in the Tynecastle stands as his boyhood heroes chalked up their eighth league win in succession.
As part of the revered Hearts championship-winning team of 1958, who scored a remarkable 132 goals in 34 league games, Mackay knows what it takes to wrestle a title from the grasp of Rangers or Celtic and his thumbs-up gesture at the end of this match signalled approval for the class of 2005.
Hearts continue to find all the answers, while their doubters rapidly run out of tricky questions. It has already been proven that George Burley's men can win handsomely, as Kilmarnock, Hibernian and Livingston have found out. Can they win ugly? Just ask Motherwell and Inverness Caledonian Thistle. But the real test was whether the Edinburgh men could win big games. Better put a tick in that box as well, then.
Burley's side equalled the club's best start to a league season in their history, - victory on Sunday in Falkirk would break the record set in 1914 - with a performance that supported the view that their starting XI is currently, at least, as high in quality as either of the Old Firm's.
But Burley's view on his team's title chances has never altered, publicly at least. "All credit to the boys, but we still know that we're in the early stages of building a squad," said the former manager of Ipswich Town and Derby County. "I cannot influence what others say, but we have never altered what we've said. We have made amazing progress over the past few months, but to finish third and qualify for Europe would be great."
This win came courtesy of a Roman Bednar header from Paul Hartley's corner in the game's early stages. The Czech striker limped off moments later after a challenge from Marvin Andrews, and will have a scan today to determine the extent of a knee injury.
Rangers seemed to be denied a legitimate penalty with five minutes of the match remaining after Robbie Neilson's hand made contact with a Francis Jeffers shot, but a draw would have been harsh on the hosts.
Alex McLeish's side currently lie in fifth place and are 11 points behind Burley's men in the table.
Celtic continue to be Hearts closest contenders at the top after coming back from a goal down to beat Inverness 2-1 with Craig Beattie scoring twice.
Meanwhile, Saturday's draw for the Scottish League Cup saw the Old Firm sides paired together. Celtic will play hosts to Rangers in the quarter-finals either on November 8th or 9th.
Guardian Service
HEARTS: Gordon, Neilson, Pressley, Webster, Fyssas (McAllister 32), Jankauskas, Hartley, Camazzola (Wallace 85), Skacel, Bednar (Simmons 27), Brellier. Subs Not Used: Banks, Cesnauskis, Berra, Elliot. Booked: Camazzola, Jankauskas. Goals: Bednar 14.
RANGERS: Waterreus, Rodriguez (Buffel 36), Andrews, Kyrgiakos, Ricksen, Namouchi (Nieto 74), Murray, Ferguson, Bernard, Prso, Novo (Jeffers 20). Subs Not Used: Klos, Lowing, McCormack, Pierre-Fanfan. Booked: Ricksen, Ferguson.
Referee: K Clark (Scotland).
