Hearts Extend Six-Point Lead In Scottish Premiership As Celtic Edge Falkirk

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Hearts stayed six points clear at the top of the Scottish Premiership after a 2-0 victory over St. Mirren, despite playing most of the match with 10 players. Celtic matched that result with a narrow 1-0 win away to Falkirk, ensuring Martin O'Neill's side remain within touching distance of the league leaders.

Derek McInnes' Hearts side lost Beni Baningime to a red card after 15 minutes at Tynecastle, yet still controlled key moments. Lawrence Shankland struck on the hour for his 11th league goal of the season, and Tomas Magnusson added a late second to secure a composed success against St. Mirren.

The pivotal dismissal arrived early when Baningime received a booking for a high challenge on Roland Idowu, which referee Kevin Clancy upgraded to a red card following a VAR review. That decision left Hearts a player short for 75 minutes, forcing a tactical reshuffle while maintaining defensive discipline against St. Mirren's pressure.

St. Mirren thought the extra player had told before the interval, twice putting the ball past Zander Clark. Idowu finished one move and an own-goal from Harry Milne followed, but both efforts were disallowed for offside. Those rulings frustrated the visitors, who could not turn territorial advantage into a legal breakthrough.

Hearts instead punished St. Mirren after the break. Blair Spittal and Alexandros Kyziridis combined neatly around the box on 60 minutes, feeding Shankland for a composed finish. The second goal arrived 10 minutes from time, when Milne's effort was saved by Shamal George and Magnusson reacted fastest to head in the rebound.

At Falkirk Stadium, the hosts started brighter and often looked sharper in possession during the first half. Celtic, however, struck just before the break. In the 43rd minute, Benjamin Nygren met a cross with a firm header to score his 10th league goal of the campaign and give O'Neill's side a narrow lead.

The second half became increasingly tense as Celtic protected that advantage. Falkirk threatened an equaliser when Kyrell Wilson rounded Kasper Schmeichel but stabbed his effort wide. Schmeichel then produced a vital stop with his feet to deny Ethan Williams, helping Celtic collect three points and stay six behind Hearts in the Scottish Premiership.

Key numbers from the Scottish Premiership fixtures highlight broader trends involving Hearts, St. Mirren, Celtic and Falkirk. McInnes extended a personal unbeaten sequence in home league matches against St. Mirren to 17 games, while St. Mirren's struggles after conceding first continued. Celtic's strong record versus promoted sides also contrasted with Falkirk's difficulties against the Glasgow club.

The latest Scottish Premiership results underline Hearts' ability to manage adversity and maintain their cushion, while Celtic continue to apply pressure with consistent league form. St. Mirren and Falkirk again struggled to overturn early setbacks, reinforcing existing patterns that could prove important as the season's title and survival battles develop.