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Shankland ready for 'five cup finals' in post-split push
TL;DR
Hearts captain Lawrence Shankland is optimistic after a win over Motherwell, keeping his team at the top of the table with a four-point lead. He anticipates a challenging post-split phase, referring to the upcoming matches as 'five cup finals.'
Hearts captain Lawrence Shankland believes "there's a lot to be excited about" after a win over Motherwell ensured his side will be top of the table going into the post-split fixtures.
The Premiership leaders went a goal down to the Steelmen at Tynecastle before Claudio Braga equalised, and Shankland's penalty put Hearts in front before Pierre-Landry Kabore added some gloss to the scoreline with an injury-time strike.
Victory opened up a four-point gap at the top of the table, though Rangers can narrow the gap again to a point when they visit Falkirk on Sunday.
Being in pole position before matches against their title rivals and the rest of the top six is exactly where Hearts want to be, though the captain does still expect "twists and turns" before the trophy's destination is decided.
Shankland said: "It's five cup finals, really, isn't it?" We know if we're going to win them all, then there's no doubt where we will be, but I imagine there's going to be plenty of twists and turns, and everybody needs to play each other.
"It'll make for a brilliant end to the season for Scottish football in general, but we'll just look to go and win as many games as we can, and if we do that, we could be in a really good place.
" When we started out the season, you had an idea that we were a strong side and had a good feeling about the place.
"We've managed to carry that through, got a lot of positive results and are still sitting in a good position come April and getting into May. We can be excited, there's a lot to be excited about.
"A lot of big games coming up and it's just about getting ready for them."
The Scotland international admitted Motherwell had given his side a real test but his side has shown their mettle to get back into it and go on to take three points.
"They're a good side and they cause you problems," he said. "It was just about dealing with that throughout the majority of the game.
"We dealt with a lot of it pretty well, but when they have that much of the ball, they are going to have moments where they threaten a goal.
"They went 1-0 up, and it's just about character from there."
[BBC]
Q&A
What did Lawrence Shankland say about the upcoming post-split fixtures?
Lawrence Shankland described the upcoming matches as 'five cup finals' and expressed confidence in winning them to secure the title.
How many points ahead is Hearts in the Premiership table after their win against Motherwell?
Hearts is currently four points ahead at the top of the Premiership table following their victory over Motherwell.
What is the significance of Hearts' position before facing their title rivals?
Being at the top before facing title rivals and the rest of the top six is crucial for Hearts, as it puts them in a strong position to compete for the championship.
