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Shaun Maloney plays peacemaker as Derek Mc Innes (second from left) objects to the behaviour of Mark Fotheringham (far right) Heart of Midlothian manager Derek Mc Innes says Celtic assistant coach Mark Fotheringham called him to apologise for his behaviour at Tynecastle last weekend. Mc Innes raced into the Celtic technical area shortly after the visitors took an early lead through Benjamin Nygren's free-kick before being ushered away by the fourth official. After Stuart Findlay equalised, Yang Hyun-jun's goal looked set to give the Glasgow side victory but Celtic's Auston Trusty was sent off and Claudio Braga made it 2-2 to keep Hearts six points clear of the defending champions in the Scottish Premiership. "I was annoyed. I've been up against loads of different dugouts over the years and loads of Celtic teams, " said Mc Innes about the reaction of Fotheringham, who had four months in charge of Huddersfield Town in 2022-23. "And I was really annoyed by the reaction. It surprised me. And I thought it was out of order. "In fairness to Mark, he's not a boy I know too well, but I know people that know him and he's a great lad, seemingly. "But he phoned me on Monday afternoon to apologise. He said there was no offence meant. And if it was, he said he was sorry for that. So I think that says a lot about him. " 'Livewire' Mato joins Hearts on loan before summer deal Hearts 'rattle' Celtic - but did red card play 'massive part'? Hearts head to Dundee United on Saturday hoping to extend their lead at the top of the Premiership with Celtic and Rangers not playing until Sunday afternoon. But Mc Innes says his players need to concentrate on what lies ahead of them rather than be concerned about how other teams will fare. "I believe that we can win games, but you look at the next four fixtures, each one is a proper challenge for us, " he added. "I'm just really concentrating on making sure we pick the right team and trying to get the right performance. It's not really about mind games and trying to send out a signal. "Take care of the game first, win the game, and then however people react to that is up to them. " Hearts have confirmed Uganda forward Rogers Mato, 22, will join the club immediately after they agreed a loan until the end of the season with North Macedonian side Vardar. Mc Innes is pleased to strengthen his options now, with Scotland striker Lawrence Shankland out until March with a hamstring strain. "I think the club's done well to get him this window. We were always hopeful of that. I think he's an exciting young player, " he said. "He brings a lot of pace. He can play across the front line. So he has great versatility. "Sometimes I feel we need that wee bit more pace at the top end of the pitch. The potential's clear and he's done quite a lot for somebody so young. " Visit our Hearts page for all the latest news, analysis and fan views Get Hearts news notifications in the BBC Sport app Djokovic & Alcaraz win five-set epics to reach Australian Open final England spinners peg back Sri Lanka after fast start Benfica meet Real in play-offs after dramatic league phase encounter What happens to our brains when we're under anesthesia? Voyager’s epic journey into deep space Former Olympian Steve Cram CBE reveals the secrets to running The most improbable hotel makeover of the Hebrides 'Aberdeen savour the most perfect game ever played' How Mc Tominay became a Napoli icon after Man Utd exit Scotland men's internationals to be shown live on BBC Commonwealth Games: Why is it so special to be part of Team Scotland? From titles to tinpottery - rank Scotland's top 10 clubs Alcaraz beats Zverev in Australian Open classic. Video Alcaraz beats Zverev in Australian Open classic Cages, crushes and stabbings - is European away safety getting worse? Record-breaking World Cup, so why no title sponsor for domestic league? The NFL's 'Queen's Gambit' who helped create $1. 5bn worth of talent How English clubs got smart to dominate this season's Champions League How do Liverpool fix their struggles against low blocks? Sabalenka cruises into final despite hindrance call. Video Sabalenka cruises into final despite hindrance call How an inspiring home video launched a main event fighter 'British elite women's basketball is at a crossroads' Football Daily. Audio Football Daily Bill Belichick: A Super Bowl god's fall from grace 'Barca move gave me confidence I could adapt' Video'Barca move gave me confidence I could adapt' England on course for fifth Champions League spot Bayern legend? How Kane is viewed in Germany as contract talks begin Why England legend Root is so effective in Asia What happens next after latest link between heading and brain disease? F1 testing begins - but why all the secrecy? Grudge match or homecoming - what next for Pimblett? Copyright © 2026 BBC. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.