Olwethu Makhanya earns Rangers a point in Derek McInnes’ Tynecastle return

Olwethu Makhanya scored a late equaliser as Rangers earned a 2-2 draw with Hearts on manager Derek McInnes’ much-hyped Tynecastle return.

The Gers boss was loudly booed by the Jambos support as he emerged from the tunnel for his first match back in Gorgie since leaving for Ibrox in June, just weeks after the Edinburgh side were pipped to the William Hill Premiership title.

But his team silenced a pumped-up home crowd when Kevin Kelsy scored a 16th-minute opener following a lapse from Laurent Mendy.

Hearts turned the game round with goals from Claudio Braga and Calvin Miller early in the second half. But Makhanya’s 89th-minute header ensured the match ended all square, keeping second-placed Gers four points behind Celtic and four above the Jambos.

Hearts made two changes to the side that started Sunday’s 2-0 win at Motherwell as Mendy and Miller replaced Stephen Kingsley and James Wilson.

There was one tweak to McInnes’ Gers lineup from the 4-0 victory over St Johnstone, with Djeidi Gassama in for Badredine Bouanani.

Hearts started brightly, forcing a corner in the opening seconds before an inswinging cross from Sabah Kerjota just eluded Malachi Fagan-Walcott at the back post.

The hosts’ high-octane start helped draw a yellow card for Rangers midfielder Nico Raskin with barely three minutes on the clock after the midfielder fouled Braga following slack defending from Emmanuel Fernandez.

After holding firm against the early onslaught, Rangers went ahead with their first notable venture into the Hearts box in the 16th minute.

Kelsy seized on slack play from Mendy just outside the box and played a one-two with Ryan Naderi before keeping his composure to slot beyond Beau Reus from six yards out.

The remainder of the first half descended into an attritional battle, with Hearts enjoying the better of the half-chances that were created.

Braga had a snapshot gathered by Ivor Pandur, Sabah Kerjota and Miller both threatened with efforts from outside the box and Mendy nodded over from a Miller free-kick.

Hearts suffered another blow just after the half hour when winger Rogers Mato, who had been deputising at left-back amid an injury crisis, pulled up and had to be replaced by Stephen Kingsley.

The hosts emerged with renewed impetus after the break and drew level three minutes into the second half when Braga rushed in to force the ball over the line from close range after Fagan-Walcott stooped to nod Miller’s free-kick back across the face of goal.

With Rangers rattled, Hearts went ahead in the 57th minute when Tomas Magnusson nicked possession off Kim Minsu and sent Braga racing down the left. The Portuguese drove into the box and his angled shot broke off Fernandez into the path of Miller, who drilled home a low finish from seven yards out.

McInnes sent on Bouanani for Gassama, and the Algerian winger helped give the visitors an increased threat in attack before he delivered the free-kick from the left which was headed home by Makhanya in the 88th minute.