Marian Kello produced an inspired performance as Hearts edged past Rangers thanks to Ryan Stevenson's goal.
Hearts upset title-chasing Rangers at Tynecastle
Marian Kello produced an inspired performance as Hearts edged past Rangers 1-0 at Tynecastle thanks to Ryan Stevenson's close-range goal.
Gers dominated from start to finish but squandered chance after chance while Slovakian keeper Kello was superb in Jim Jefferies' net.
Hearts' first shot on target ended up being the match-winning effort as Stevenson collected Stephen Elliott's scuffed shot to tuck home past Allan McGregor.
Walter Smith's side nearly levelled matters late on, but substitute Nikica Jelavic's crisp shot cannoned off the crossbar to safety with Kello well beaten.
The win moves in-form Hearts to within just two points of second-placed Rangers, who still have games in hand over leaders Celtic.
The match was just 27 seconds old when Hearts keeper Kello was called into action to parry a Kyle Lafferty shot to his right after the striker carved out an early chance on goal.
Untroubled
At the other end, Rudi Skacel did well to cut inside before setting up Stevenson in front of goal but he volleyed well over, with McGregor untroubled in the Rangers goal.
Lafferty had another chance for Rangers when he collected from Maurice Edu but connected awkwardly and his tame effort was easily gathered by Kello.
Rangers still looked dangerous and Steven Naismith slipped a lovely pass to Jamie Ness in plenty of space and the youngster forced a decent save from Kello, before seeing a swerving effort tipped just wide of the far post seconds later.
It was proving to be a busy afternoon for Kello, who blocked another stinging shot from Lafferty, before denying Naismith the opener from a powerful drive.
Lee McCulloch then picked up the first yellow card of the game for a clumsy challenge on David Templeton. He was joined in referee Mike Tumilty's book by Bougherra for a foul on Stevenson.
With half-time fast approaching, Skacel could have snatched the lead for Hearts with a shot from the left which fizzed across the face of goal and past the upright, before McGregor blocked from Elliott.
Blocked
Rangers tried to break the deadlock shortly after the restart when Sasa Papac went on a surging run before seeing his point-blank shot blocked by Kello, who was in superb form for Hearts.
The champions had another chance to pile on the pressure when Lafferty was fouled by Ismael Bouzid 25 yards out but a decent opportunity was squandered when Steven Davis' free-kick failed to make it past the Hearts wall.
Lafferty was withdrawn with 20 minutes to go and replaced by Nikica Jelavic, who had recently returned to action after recovering from a serious ankle injury sustained at the same venue almost four months ago.
But it was Hearts who opened the scoring after 77 minutes. Skacel went to ground in the box under pressure from Ness but there was no penalty as play raged on in the packed goalmouth.
Skacel picked himself up to have a half-shot on goal which was forced into the back of the net by Stevenson from close-range.
Rangers could have hauled themselves level when Jelavic tried his luck with an ambitious overhead kick which crashed off the underside of the bar as Hearts held on for the win.
