Hearts leap in Scottish league title race after beating Rangers with three rounds left

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EDINBURGH, Scotland (AP) — The three-team race in a Scottish league title chase for the ages now looks down to two after leader Heart of Midlothian rallied to beat Rangers 2-1 on Monday.

Hearts is three points ahead of second-placed Celtic with three rounds left, chasing a first league title for 66 years as a big underdog against richer opponents.

Rangers was all but knocked out of the running, now seven points back.

Rangers can do Hearts a huge favor on Sunday at Celtic in a Glasgow derby between fierce rivals who have combined to win the league in each of the past 40 years.

Hearts took a big step toward a stunning and unheralded Scottish Premiership triumph with second-half goals from defender Stephen Kingsley and talismanic forward Lawrence Shankland. Rangers took a first-half lead on Dujon Sterling's deflected shot.

Shankland's decisive left-foot strike in the 71st minute — his 14th league goal this season — showed the kind of form that could see him lead Scotland's attack when the Tartan Army returns to the World Cup against Haiti on June 13 at the New England Patriots' stadium.

Hearts next plays on Saturday evening at Motherwell and can go six points clear one day before Celtic hosts Rangers.

Hearts also has a better goal difference than Celtic which is the first tiebreaker if they are level on points after the last game of the season — when they meet in Glasgow on May 16.

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