Blair Spittal leads Hearts toward Falkirk win at Tynecastle

blair spittal sits in the middle of a Hearts story that has become about the title race as much as the fixture itself. Staff writers backed Hearts to beat Falkirk at Tynecastle on Wednesday night, with Derek McInnes’ side top of the table by one point over Celtic and still in charge of their own run-in.

Tynecastle and Celtic Park

Hearts were due to welcome Falkirk first, then turn straight to Celtic Park for the meeting with Celtic after that. That sequence leaves little room for error, but it also leaves Hearts with the position they wanted: one point clear and one result away from keeping the pressure where they want it.

The prediction was not built on hope alone. Hearts were described as almost imperious on home soil this season, and one view expected them to win by a couple of goals with Lawrence Shankland and Claudio Braga most likely to supply them up front.

McInnes and McGlynn

McInnes has the cleaner hand on the table, but John McGlynn’s Falkirk side were framed as free-flowing and capable of making the night harder than the standings suggest. That is the friction in this match: the league leaders are carrying title pressure, while Falkirk arrive with a style that can open games up.

Hearts also had injury concerns to manage. Craig Halkett and Marc Leonard were described as suffering agonising injuries, while Cammy Devlin was expected to be back for Hearts.

Hearts and the 1985/86 season

The title talk was tied to a longer memory at Tynecastle. Hearts were said to be on the brink of a first league title in 66 years, and the reference point was their 1-0 win over Clydebank in the penultimate league game of the 1985/86 season, when Gary Mackay scored the only goal.

For Hearts, the task is simple enough: handle Falkirk, then carry the margin into the Celtic Park meeting. With the table still showing a one-point lead, the next 90 minutes at Tynecastle shape the way the championship pressure moves into the final stretch.