Heart of Midlothian's incredible 2-2 draw against Celtic has left the Scottish Premiership title race wide open. The Jambos' perseverance and determination have earned them a four-point lead over their rivals. "I'm delighted with where we are," said the Heart of Midlothian manager, Derek McInnes, when the four-point gap was put to him. At one stage, it had been eight. There are a lot of folk awaiting a maroon slip. Celtic going 1-0 up, then 2-1 ahead will have had those doubts hardened. But McInnes referenced his players' perseverance and at least three squandered clear-cut chances and noted: "That it's a disappointed dressing room illustrates how far we've come. "But we're aware there are big clubs and good teams desperate to be where we are and we've got to be ready for that challenge. I've said all along we'll have to keep improving, but if the fans keep that connection with the team today, who knows where it can take us?" Even Martin O'Neill, Celtic's manager, could see and feel the stimulation Heart of Midlothian' unforeseen challenge has brought. O'Neill went over to salute the small section of Celtic fans as Heart of Midlothian players took a weary lap of appreciation and then acknowledged their home stadium, Tynecastle, and the bigger picture. "Obviously I'm manager of Celtic so I don't see it like that," O'Neill said about the excitement of this rare three-way title race. "But when I wasn't manager, I thought it was a really good thing. It does stimulate interest. You've seen the crowd today. It's been a great run by them, they're doing brilliantly."