If it seemed Hearts made a statement by winning with 10 men at Dundee on Sunday, they upped the ante against St Mirren four days later.
A man down after just 14 minutes after Beni Baningime’s red card, the Scottish Premiership pace-setters defied their circumstances again to score twice in the second half and remain six points clear at the top of the table.
Unlike the weekend, when they were a goal to the good and had half the game left to play, it was goalless at Tynecastle on Wednesday when their numbers were cut.
“I said Sunday was the best three points, but that tops it a long way,” said a grinning Derek McInnes afterwards.
But something else the Hearts head coach said stood out.
“We don’t have the riches of Rangers and Celtic,” he said. “We’re still paying ‘Hearts wages’.
“I think there’s this thing out there that we’re up there on a level. We’re the underdog by a long shot.”
It is that siege mentality that served Hearts so well over the past few days, and why it might just spur them on to a remarkable title win.
The message from McInnes has been clear all season – ‘judge us after two rounds of fixtures’. The campaign has now reached that stage.
And if this is to be Hearts’ Judgement Day, Baningime’s red card somehow helped their cause for salvation.
Going into this game, they were the heavy favourites. St Mirren are circling the drain, an injury crisis in midfield having ripped the heart out of Stephen Robinson’s League Cup winners.
But being expected to win is not something Hearts have always been comfortable with. In their only blip in form this season, they were held by St Mirren, Dundee United, Motherwell and Kilmarnock, and lost to a struggling Aberdeen side.
Those were all games – Motherwell away aside, perhaps – that Hearts would have targeted wins from.
But, instead, it is in games against the Old Firm in which they have shone.
Not since 1960 had they won three consecutive games against their Glasgow rivals. They won the league that season.
They’re currently on a run of four, with Celtic at home on the horizon.
It could be those encounters that make the difference, but it is one such as the triumphs over Dundee and St Mirren that suggest they won’t fall away.
Twice they were a man down, twice they continued to fight and claim wins.
“Talk about statement results,” pundit Allan Preston said on Sportsound. “This is a statement result for Hearts. Down to 10 men since the 15th minute and they deserved to win by more.”
If there is such a thing as a statement draw, Hearts have managed that, too. Trailing 3-0 to Motherwell in late August, it seemed McInnes’ bubble was about to burst. Instead, they came back to draw 3-3.
They couldn’t manage the same feat against Hibernian in the Edinburgh derby just after Christmas, but they were a Raphael Sallinger super save away from a point.
Now, McInnes must answer questions about Hearts’ title chances and not deflect. However, he’s been around the block and is a canny operator.
“I’ve always had belief that we can keep winning games,” he replied when asked about his own belief in their title chances. “We’re at 50 points at half the games played, and that’s brilliant shooting.
“We set a target in my last meeting before the first league game – 18 wins will get us Europe. We’re at 15 now and we’re not out of January.
“Obviously things change as you move on but we just want to knuckle down.”
One game at a time, then. That’s been the message to the squad so far this season, and why stop now?
It was a sentiment echoed by captain Lawrence Shankland.
“The circumstances go against us again with the red card,” he told BBC Scotland. “But the other night [against Dundee], we went so long with 10 men that it gave us the belief that we could do it.
“Good results always bring belief for a team. We want to stay at the top and that’s where we are. We’re just enjoying it.”
Hearts fans, at least, can stop playing coy. Like Shankland said, they just need to enjoy it. Who knows when this will happen again?
Here is what a few of them said:
Calum: Another massive statement from Hearts, answering any lingering questions from critics about their mettle and strength of mentality. Serious plaudits must also be given to Derek McInnes and the decisions he’s made under pressure. I think it shows the quality of the manager and his belief in the team that he pushed for a goal in this match rather than trying to lock things down and settle for one point.
John: If Hearts win the league, it will be done with games like this. Teams cannot seem to break them down and that is down to Derek and the team showing pure heart and determination not to lose.
David: Crucial win. Let’s not forget the Old Firm have European games to worry about over the next few weeks where Hearts can focus on getting players fit and prepared for crunch league matches.
Peter: My heart went straight into my mouth when Baningime was sent off with only 14 minutes gone. The subsequent changes made by McInnes in formation, and then his substitutions, were simply masterstrokes and the spirit in which his instructions were executed adds to my growing belief in this team and its manager.
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