By JOHN MCGARRY

Published: 18:50, 1 March 2026 | Updated: 18:50, 1 March 2026

Rangers 2 Celtic 2

DESPITE what the scoreline said come full-time, there was a winner amid all this mayhem. Sat around their television sets 50 miles east, the players and management of Hearts would have punched the air when John Beaton put the whistle to his lips for the final time.

In the context of how this affair played out, a draw here was a much better outcome for Celtic than it was Rangers.

Having come back from two goals down at the break to snatch a draw at the death through Reo Hatate, Martin O’Neill’s men know they can now go above Rangers if they win at Aberdeen on Wednesday night.

Truthfully, though, a share of the spoils did neither side much good. Rangers are six behind the Tynecastle men with just nine games remaining. They now need favours from elsewhere.

Celtic will be marginally better off if they can see off the Dons but will still be five points behind the leaders even if...