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Hearts were grateful for a Craig Gordon wonder save as they edged closer to the Scottish Championship title with a goalless draw at Dunfermline Athletic.

The Scotland goalkeeper somehow got his body in the way of a Vytas Gaspuitas header in the closing stages.

Gaspuitas earlier hit the crossbar as Robbie Neilson's men rode their luck in a fourth game without victory.

But they go 11 points clear, having played a game more than second-top Raith Rovers, with four matches left.

Dunfermline climb into the play-off places having ended a run of three league defeats.

The hosts passed up a golden opportunity in a bright start when Scott Banks was sent clean through only to slip the ball the wrong side of Gordon's right-hand post.

Hearts slowly played their way into the game and both Euan Henderson and Liam Boyce fired wide.

Dunfermline, though, continued to push forward and full-back Josh Edwards missed the target when one-on-one with Gordon, who then saved low to his left from Kevin O'Hara.

Lithuanian centre-back Gaspuitas crashed a header off the crossbar from a second-half corner with the visitors' defence in disarray.

That spurred Hearts into action and Peter Haring fired wide from a corner before Owain Fon-Williams saved well from a Boyce header.

Steven Naismith returned from injury off the bench and also forced the Dunfermline keeper into a decent stop.

Gordon's late heroics preserved a point for Hearts, but the performance will do nothing to ease the pressure on head coach Neilson following the recent Scottish Cup exit to Highland League champions Brora Rangers.

They now cannot clinch the title against Alloa Athletic on Friday, but need just five more points to secure an immediate return to the top flight.