High-flying Hearts right in title hunt, says Neil Lennon

Hearts, who are seven points behind Celtic with a game in hand, and only two behind Rangers - who have played a game less than the Edinburgh side - will head along the M8 brimming with confidence after Ryan Stevenson's goal saw them beat the champions 1-0 at Tynecastle on Saturday, and Lennon said: "I have said this all along about Hearts.

"They have put a concerted, consistent run together and the result against Rangers adds to the theory that they are in the running. It's a big, big game for us. Things can turn again very, very quickly and so we are not taking anything for granted."

Anthony Stokes scored the winning goal in Celtic's 1-0 win over Aberdeen on Saturday and rather than worry about Hearts' title credentials, the former Hibs front man preferred to concentrate on his side's own 11-game unbeaten run.

"We are just focusing on ourselves," he said. "They are on a great run and they look like a very organised, attacking team and it was another good result for them against Rangers.

"But we are on a good run ourselves, we are keeping clean sheets, we are scoring goals."

Lennon praised Stokes and his strike partner Gary Hooper after they combined for the second week in succession to seal Celtic's victory.

Stokes' first-half goal was his fourth in three games to take his Celtic tally to 12. He was set up in the 27th minute by Hooper, and Lennon said: "The front two were a handful and worked the goal very well. I thought they dovetailed very well. You can tell there is a bit of chemistry between them and they are doing what we brought them to do."