It was just past the half-hour mark. Cammy Devlin tried to knock a bouncing ball into the path of James Penrice but the connection wasn't clean and it went to Scott Wright. His reaction, as it so ever is, was to win it back as quickly as possible.

As the Aussie went to tackle Wright, the Rangers winger had moved on the ball and Devlin's momentum carried him into the opponent, upending him in front of Nick Walsh. It was the Heart of Midlothian midfielder's first foul but the referee, perhaps harshly, felt it warranted a yellow card.

There would have been a collective thought amongst the home crowd at a packed and lively Tynecastle Park: 'Well, that's him neutered'.

In those 30 minutes before the incident and the 60 minutes after it, Devlin demonstrated not only the attributes all Hearts fans are aware of but also the mental fortitude and maturity to play on the edge but never step over it and put himself and the team in danger of playing against 10 men.

When Devlin plays like he did on Saturday, he is one of the most important players on the team. Even more so in games like the one against Rangers. It was like he was grown in a test tube for such occasions in maroon.

Let's just look at the numbers. 

Tackles? Nine, three more than anyone else on the pitch. Interceptions? Four, one more than anyone else on the pitch. Pressures? 19, two more than anyone else on the pitch. Counterpressures? Nine, four more than anyone else on the pitch.

Those back up the eye test from watching in the Tynecastle Park Main Stand. And they are important, because there was an unease amongst fans over the midfield make-up with Beni Baningime and Calem Nieuwenhof out injured, plus Malachi Boateng on in situ long enough for a place on the bench, meeting his new team-mates for the first time that morning.

Cammy Devlin's heat map against RangersCammy Devlin's heat map against Rangers (Image: StatsBomb)

With that performance, Devlin showed there was absolutely nothing to worry about.

"I feel like last year we competed in these games but now I actually feel like we could have won that game," he said of the game. "Obviously, they had chances, we had chances like any nil-nil draw. But I thought it was a strong performance.

"The energy and the will to win and win tackles was something that was just the basics of football and it's so important. I spoke after the game last week about that just being something that should be the norm when you're wearing a Hearts jersey.

"That's just an expectation, to show the basics and work as hard as you possibly can and then you get your rewards. Unfortunately, we didn't get the rewards in terms of a goal to win the game but we did in terms of the feeling after the game was positive and being back at home was such a good feeling.

"To feel that atmosphere, you definitely feel it when you're out on the pitch. I think it was a strong performance and I'm walking away thinking we're unlucky not to get a goal and win."

It's also important to note that there was someone else alongside Devlin who played an equally important role. Jorge Grant was signed as a forward-thinking midfielder a couple of years ago but demonstrated his capability as a deep-lying screener of the defence.

Devlin, who noted the competition for places, "loved it" playing beside him, revealing the duo had previously spoken about playing together.

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"Granty is a top player and we’re good mates so we've spoken about wanting to play together as a partnership and we were fortunate enough to do that," he said. "I feel like we complement each other well. I personally don't think he gets the credit he deserves in terms of we all know what he can do on the ball. He's a creator, he's super in the final third. But the other side of the game, he works so hard.

"He's one of the fittest and I'm sure when we check his numbers he'll be up the top in terms of the ground he covered and the tackles. The little things that maybe you don't see from up here but on the pitch you really feel that.

"I feel like the connection we've got was on display and if that's to continue then so be it. Every player who comes in, like I've said a couple of times, is ready and waiting. The boys that maybe didn't start or the ones who are injured are watching, wanting to be the two. That's a healthy competition."