Hearts prey on Hibs and Aberdeen as foundations built for top-six assault - and perhaps more

Hearts knew that three points was the only acceptable outcome from this match against Ross County in their quest to reach the Premiership’s top six.

They started the afternoon on the wrong side of the divide but courtesy of winning 2-0 and Motherwell failing to defeat St Mirren, they now occupy sixth place with three games to go before the split.

An army of teams are stalking them - led by Motherwell, who are now a point behind - and the Jambos' fixture list is not easy by any stretch. They are at Celtic Park, before welcoming Dundee United to Tynecastle and finishing off away at Fir Park. At least now their destiny is in their own hands.

Hearts' Jorge Grant scores to make it 2-0. | SNS Group

With Aberdeen and Hibs above them also dropping points, Hearts are only five points off third and can still be considered veritable challengers for the European places.

There was therefore an air of satisfaction around Gorgie at full-time. Goals from Elton Kabangu and substitute Jorge Grant secured victory over a stuffy and limited Ross County side whose own top-six chances took a significant dent with this defeat. Hearts were not at their best - but nor did they need to be.

There were plus points all over the pitch for Hearts. In defence, Michael Steinwender dominated at centre-half, his positioning immaculate and his strength important as County tried to rough him up. Beni Baningime ran the show in midfield and ahead of him, Lawrence Shankland was clever behind the front two. Kabangu took his tally for year to eight and teenager James Wilson, who was called into the Scotland squad earlier in the week, returned to the starting XI in place of Kenneth Vargas.

Wilson's steep rise to the international set-up was proclaimed pre-match, but the recently-turned 18-year-old had a quiet match in attack and misplaced a few passes. At his age, you are more than allowed some iffy moments, though. When replaced by Musa Drammeh towards the end, he was roundly applauded.

Kabangu continues to be Hearts' main man in attacking sense. Signed on loan from Union Saint-Gilloise back in January, the Belgian forward has showed composure and proper striker's instincts since coming in. The Jambos would have been grateful for his composure on 26 minutes to liven up what had previously been a dreary affair.

Baningime received a pass from Blair Spittal and took out three County opponents with his touch and turn towards goal. He slipped in Kabangu and he prodded the ball through the legs of keeper Jordan Amissah and into the net.

It was the one moment of serious offensive quality in an otherwise stodgy first half. County compacted the space and looked to play on the counter. Their only noteworthy moment was a run from striker Kieran Phillips that ended with him sclaffing a shot miles wide.

Don Cowie's visitors opened up more after the break and threw on two forwards in Ronan Hale and Jordan White to try and prise open Hearts' rock-solid backline. But their only shot on target was a skidding effort from Hale that was easily fielded by the otherwise largely redundant Hearts keeper Craig Gordon.

But given Hearts coughed up not one but two stoppage-time goals up in Dingwall at Christmas time, Hearts wanted that second goal to properly kill off the Staggies. Substitute Musa Drammeh thought he'd bagged it on 89 minutes with an effort from the centre of the penalty box that Amissah repelled acrobatically with a fine stop, but the ball remained in play and Drammeh played his part in squaring the ball to Grant, who slid in to net and put the outcome well beyond doubt.

Elton Kabangu scored for Hearts. | SNS Group

County still remain closer to sixth (four points) than they are to 11th (seven points) but they will need to take a significant haul from their pre-split matches against Dundee United, Aberdeen and St Mirren if they are to worry the top six. Nevertheless, Cowie's side has come on leaps and bounds from the start of December, when they occupied the relegation spots.

Hearts head coach Neil Critchley admitted afterwards that his Hearts team were not firing on all cylinders, but at this stage of the season the points are more important than the performance. His squad now gets a two-week break before heading through to Glasgow to face Celtic - the sternest challenge they can face.

Finishing in the top six, given the trio of games that awaits them, remains a challenging assignment, but there is now a foundation for Hearts to build upon.