Lawrence Shankland hopes Hearts can unseat Rangers to create 'two-horse race'

Hearts captain Lawrence Shankland has targeted turning the Premiership title chase into a two-horse race ahead of his side’s meeting with Rangers.

Leaders Hearts will move seven points clear of the Light Blues with three games left if they beat Danny Rohl’s side at Tynecastle.

Blair Spittal’s late derby winner at Easter Road on Sunday further strengthened Hearts’ position after Rangers lost at home to Motherwell.

Shankland said of Monday’s fixture: “It does have a wee bit of a cup-final feel about it. If we were to win, it would become pretty difficult for Rangers to win the league just based on the amount of games left to play.

“If it becomes a two-horse race after that, you’ve got even more chance of winning it. So it’ll be a big game, the build-up to it will be huge.

“If it’s a game we win, we increase our chances of winning the league. That’s the most important thing for us.”

Celtic are three points behind with Hearts still to visit Parkhead on the final day.

But Hearts have taken seven points against the champions this season as well as beating Rangers twice.

Shankland said: “What Celtic do have is the experience. Obviously, winning leagues in the past, that’s something they do have up in us.

“We’ve had a lot of success against the teams we’re about to play in the remaining games of the season. We’ve got a good points return against them.

“We just need to continue to do that, bring the best version of us, and we can win games, we’ve shown that.”

Shankland also feels Hearts can handle the pressure, especially after grabbing late winners in their last two matches.

“There’s nerves, it’s only natural,” the 30-year-old striker said. “The position you’re in, and what the club and the team can achieve, nerves are normal at this stage. It’s just about remaining calm and finding the moment.”

Shankland, who has been named on the PFA Scotland Premiership Player of the Year shortlist, added: “The emotions of the derby are always there, but Sunday was obviously pretty heightened.

“A lot of the chat prior to that was about Hibs trying to stop us on our tracks, and we knew that going into it, and you could feel the atmosphere in the stadium.

“It was brilliant to play in as a player, it was a really good atmosphere and to come through that with a victory is exactly what we wanted and what we needed.

“We know going into these next few games there’s going to be a cup-final feel about them all, and that’s the same for everybody.

“There’s that pressure there, there’s no denying that, no getting away from it, but for now we’ve coped really well, and I’m confident we can do so going forward.”