Rangers captain Fernando Ricksen converted a controversial last-minute penalty at Hearts to tighten his side's grip on the Bank of Scotland Premier League leadership.

A chaotic final minute at Tynecastle saw a man from each side sent off as tempers exploded over the spot-kick decision.

First Rangers were enraged that Lee Miller's impeding of Sotirios Kyrgiakos had gone unpunished and Dado Prso was shown a second yellow card for manhandling goalkeeper Craig Gordon.

When linesman Andy Davis informed referee Hugh Dallas that a penalty should be awarded, it was Hearts who lost all discipline and Saulius Mikoliunas was shown a red card for barging into the linesman.

Ricksen enhanced his reputation for new-found calmness by slotting home the penalty which kept intact his side's six-point advantage over Celtic.

And, with the Hoops beating Dundee at home back in Glasgow and having two games in hand, Ricksen's goal was one Rangers could not afford to be without.

The Light Blues had taken the lead four minutes into the re-start through top scorer Nacho Novo - his 23rd strike since leaving Dundee in the summer.

There was an element of controversy at that point too as Hearts had claimed in vain that defender Marvin Andrews had used an arm to block, but play continued to allow Prso to send the Spaniard away on a race with Lee Wallace that he was always going to win.

It had appeared that fortune had finally swung Hearts' way - and, therefore, Celtic's too - three minutes from time when substitute Mark Burchill, the former Hoops striker, netted an equaliser.

Midfielder Paul Hartley, the man Hearts had refused to sell to Celtic in January, had sent a free-kick dancing off a post that Rangers goalkeeper Ronald Waterreus could not grasp.

The Dutchman had been more fortunate in the first half when Deividas Cesnauskis had blazed over when faced with an open goal in the 19th minute after the goalkeeper had fumbled Mikoliunas' cross from the right.

The Dutchman made amends four minutes later by diverting Mikoliunas' goal-bound drive onto a post.

The first half had also included Prso's first yellow card, for the use of an elbow on Andy Webster in an aerial duel.

Prso's performance had otherwise been admirable as his work-rate, strength and sheer bloody-mindedness had been greater than anyone else's on the pitch.

Novo had come close on two occasions before his opener, but fired a low long-ranger wide and made a mess of a tricky volley having anticipated Hartley's attempt to locate goalkeeper Gordon with a header.

However, the extraordinary ending of the match will also have implications for Hearts as linesman Davis needed police protection as angry fans confronted him on the Tynecastle touchline.

Teams

Hearts Gordon, Neilson, Webster, Berra, Wallace, Mikoliunas, MacFarlane (Kizys 77), Hartley, McAllister (Burchill 82), Miller, Cesnauskis (Hamill 84).

Subs Not Used: Moilanen, McKenna, Wyness, Simmons.

Sent Off: Mikoliunas (90).

Booked: Hartley.

Goals: Burchill 87.

Rangers Waterreus, Ross, Andrews, Kyrgiakos, Ball, Buffel (Namouchi 70), Ricksen, Ferguson, Vignal, Prso, Novo.

Subs Not Used: McGregor, Burke, Steven Smith, Thompson, Malcolm, Alex Rae.

Sent Off: Prso (90).

Booked: Prso, Vignal.

Goals: Novo 49, Ricksen 90 pen.

Att: 13,842

Ref: H Dallas (Scotland).