The message from McInnes has been clear all season – ‘decide us after two rounds of fixtures’. The marketing campaign has now reached that stage.

And if that is to be Hearts’ Judgement Day, Baningime’s purple card in some way helped their trigger for salvation.

Going into this recreation, they have been the heavy favourites. St Mirren are circling the drain, an damage disaster in midfield having ripped the guts out of Stephen Robinson’s League Cup winners.

However being anticipated to win shouldn’t be one thing Hearts have all the time been comfy with. Of their solely blip in type this season, they have been held by St Mirren, Dundee United, Motherwell and Kilmarnock, and misplaced to a struggling Aberdeen aspect.

These have been all video games – Motherwell away apart, maybe – that Hearts would have focused wins from.

However, as an alternative, it’s in video games in opposition to the Previous Agency wherein they’ve shone.

Not since 1960 had they gained three consecutive video games in opposition to their Glasgow rivals. They gained the league that season.

They’re presently on a run of 4, with Celtic at house on the horizon.

It might be these encounters that make the distinction, however it’s one such because the triumphs over Dundee and St Mirren that counsel they will not fall away.

Twice they have been a person down, twice they continued to combat and declare wins.

“Discuss assertion outcomes,” pundit Allan Preston mentioned on Sportsound. “It is a assertion consequence for Hearts. Right down to 10 males for the reason that fifteenth minute they usually deserved to win by extra.”

If there may be such a factor as an announcement draw, Hearts have managed that, too. Trailing 3-0 to Motherwell in late August, it appeared McInnes’ bubble was about to burst. As a substitute, they got here again to attract 3-3.

They could not handle the identical feat in opposition to Hibernian within the Edinburgh derby simply after Christmas, however they have been a Raphael Sallinger tremendous save away from some extent.