HEARTS ARE IN FULL BLOOM

Tony' talk of 10 years for a title looks to be way off after four-in-a-row high

- BY SCOTT MCDERMOTT

TONY BLOOM reckoned it would take Hearts up to a decade to win the title.

But just 140 days later, Derek McInnes' side are now in pole position to become Premiership champions after seeing off Rangers in Gorgie.

Their latest investor sent shock waves through Scottish football in August when he said he'd be disappointed if they did not pull it off within 10 years.

Now he's backing a team who are 20 games from achieving the seemingly impossible task of finishing top of the pile.

McInnes will say there's still a long way to go... and he's right.

But after this victory over the Ibrox club, which is their fourth straight win up against the Old Firm, they simply must now be favourites. McInnes' men are 12 points clear of fourth-placed Rangers, while Celtic continue to stutter in second place.

Goals from Stuart Findlay and Lawrence Shankland meant Danny Rohl suffered his first league defeat as Rangers gaffer since arriving in October.

A rare Youssef Chermiti strike at the death was too little too late for the away side and any genuine title challenge from Ibrox now looks highly unlikely.

GORGIE GLEE

If any Hearts fan didn't believe they could win the title before, surely they've been converted.

McInnes has tried to play down their challenge all season.

But after making it four wins against the Old Firm this term - the first time any club have done that since 1985 - there must be a huge surge of confidence in Gorgie that this can be their year.