Hearts missed the chance to open a six-point gap at the top of the Scottish Premiership as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Motherwell at Fir Park.
Stephen Kingsley’s own goal gave the hosts an early lead in the 25th minute, but Lawrence Shankland leveled the score just before halftime. The draw means Hearts’ lead over Celtic remains at four points, with the Old Firm derby scheduled for Sunday.
The Jambos now face a nervy wait to see if Celtic can close the gap to just one point by beating Rangers. However, Hearts could still end their 66-year wait for a top-flight title with a win against Falkirk on Wednesday if Celtic lose.
Shankland’s equalizer came from close range in the 43rd minute, but the result was overshadowed by a controversial penalty decision in the second half. Referee Steven McLean was sent to the monitor by VAR after Alexandros Kyziridis appeared to be tripped by Tawanda Maswanhise, yet he upheld his original call despite clear contact.
“Derek McInnes will be absolutely fuming when he sees that penalty incident back,” former player Kris Boyd said. “It was a stonewall penalty.”
Sky Sports pundit James McFadden added: “The only explanation is that McLean didn’t think the contact was enough, but Maswanhise stepped on Kyziridis’s foot. That is a penalty.”
Hearts pushed for a winner in the second half and survived a scare when Stephen O’Donnell’s goal for Motherwell was ruled out. Despite the draw, the title race remains firmly in Hearts’ control as they have two games left to play.
Hearts manager Derek McInnes criticized the officiating after the match. “At the time, I thought it was a penalty based on the reactions,” he said. “I think VAR did its job to call the referee over, but the decision on the field was disappointing.”
