Rangers beat Hearts 2-1 yesterday to delay Celtic's coronation as Scottish Premier League champions for 24 hours. Celtic top the standings with 78 points from 33 games, 10 ahead of Rangers, and can clinch their 41st title today with a win at Kilmarnock.

Hearts are fourth, four points behind Aberdeen, who drew 2-2 against a Hibernian side that had two players sent off.

Hearts snatched a first-half lead against Rangers when Lithuanian Andrius Velicka surged through to crack a low shot beyond keeper Allan McGregor into the far corner of the net in the 15th minute.

But Rangers tied up the points after the break with two fine goals from Gavin Rae and Barry Ferguson.

Rae sent a header into the net in the 51st minute from Allan Hutton's cross and Ferguson crashed a superb shot home in the 78th.

Aberdeen came from behind to strengthen their bid for a UEFA Cup place. Hibs took the lead through Damon Gray in the 19th minute when he pounced on a mistake by Andy Considine to drag the ball around the keeper and slot it into the net.

Aberdeen captain Russell Anderson headed his side level six minutes later from Barry Nicholson's corner on the right.

Dean Shiels ran through and dragged the ball around Aberdeen keeper Jamie Langfield to make it 2-1 for Hibs a minute from the interval.

But after Darren Mackie missed a second-half penalty, Aberdeen equalised when Ricky Foster slammed a 30-metre shot into the left corner of the net in the 78th minute.

Hibernian's Sean Lynch was shown a straight red card for a studs up challenge shortly after the break and in the final minute defender Dermott McCaffrey picked up a second booking to be dismissed.