Portuguese forward Braga hits double figures for Hearts with crucial late goal against Celtic [video] | OneFootball

Braga is now on 10 goals in the SPL (Getty Images)

Heart of Midlothian are four points clear at the top of the Scottish Premiership after salvaging a 2-2 draw with champions Celtic in the capital on Sunday.

Portuguese forward Cláudio Braga scored in the 87th minute for Hearts, who twice came from behind to ensure their hopes of an unlikely title remain. The Edinburgh side have now lost just one of their last ten league outings, proving more difficult to displace at the summit than many expected when they went top of the pile early this season.

Celtic took the lead through a Benjamin Nygren free-kick in the first half, but the hosts drew level through Stuart Findlay less than three minutes after the re-start. However, the champions restored their advantage when Yang Hyun-Jun struck on 62 minutes, threatening Hearts’ recent strong run of results.

The dismissal of Celtic defender Auston Trusty after a VAR check for a last-man foul on Pierra Kabore gave the league leaders a man advantage on 77 minutes. The numerical superiority proved decisive as Hearts flooded the box late on, leading to Braga smashing in an equaliser to send the Tynecastle Park crowd wild on 87 minutes.

The goal was Braga’s 10th of the SPL campaign, putting him just one behind leading scorers Nygren, Tawanda Maswanhise (Motherwell) and Hearts teammate Lawrence Shankland. Braga has also contributed two assists, making it 12 goal involvements from 23 matches for the 26-year-old.

By Sean Gillen