The Light Blues missed the chance to cash in after Celtic were held 2-2 by Dundee United, with Rangers also forced to settle for a point at Tynecastle on Wednesday night.

Fernandez endured a nightmare first half in Edinburgh as Hearts repeatedly got at the 24-year-old centre-back. The Nigerian was eventually booked in the 44th minute after hauling down Josh McPake, but former Hearts defender Ryan McGowan reckons he was lucky to still be on the pitch by that stage.

McGowan pointed to an earlier challenge on Tomas Bent Magnusson and suggested Fernandez could easily have picked up a yellow card for the incident. Had that happened, his booking for the foul on McPake would have seen him dismissed. But Boyd wasn't having it, immediately firing back: “Clutching at straws there.”

McGowan stood by his verdict, saying: “It would be harsh, but you definitely think there have been yellow cards given out throughout the season for challenges like that.

“Then five minutes later, when he does get a yellow card. Interesting. He could've been off. I think that first one is a case of you've half seen them given and I think he's relatively lucky he has not got that first one.”