Hearts 1 Rangers 2: With championship rivals Celtic beating Dundee in Glasgow, it was imperative Rangers claimed three points, although victory came in remarkable circumstances. A Nacho Novo goal put them on their way until substitute Mark Burchill's late equaliser, although even then there was time in the two added minutes for Dado Prso and Saulius Mikoliunas to be sent off in separate incidents, and for Fernando Ricksen to score the winner with a hugely controversial penalty.

Novo's goal arrived on 49 minutes after Prso sliced through and Novo beat Craig Gordon with a clinical finish.

Hearts snatched an equaliser when Burchill, on for McAllister as one one of three substitutions, finally found the target after Paul Hartley's free-kick had rebounded off a post.

Even then the drama was not over. Mayhem erupted as the linesman called referee Hugh Dallas' attention to an incident involving Sotirios Kyrgiakos, and while they were deep in discussion Prso became embroiled with Gordon, received a second yellow card and was dismissed.

A penalty was the outcome and that prompted Mikoliunas to push the assistant referee and receive an immediate red card. Ricksen won the match with the spot-kick.

HEARTS: Gordon, Neilson, Webster, Berra, Wallace, Mikoliunas, MacFarlane (Kizys 77), Hartley, McAllister (Burchill 82 mins), Miller, Cesnauskis (Hamill 84 mins). Subs not used: Moilanen, McKenna, Wyness, Simmons. Sent Off: Mikoliunas (90). Booked: Hartley. Goal: Burchill 87.

RANGERS: Waterreus, Ross, Andrews, Kyrgiakos, Ball, Buffel (Namouchi 70), Ricksen, Ferguson, Vignal, Prso, Novo. Subs not used: McGregor, Burke, S Smith, Thompson, Malcolm, Alex Rae. Sent Off: Prso (90). Booked: Prso, Vignal. Goals: Novo 49, Ricksen 90 pen.

Referee: H Dallas (Scotland).