Neilson’s team struck three minutes into stoppage-time with a wonder strike from Alim Ozturk to keep their automatic promotion hopes intact.
While Hibernian had dominated the match and looked like winning with Dominique Malonga's first-half goal, Neilson praised his team’s refusal to give up at Easter Road.
For the third time this season Hearts scored a vital late goal, having done so against Rangers and Alloa, when they claimed two victories in those games.
Neilson said: "Will we finish the season unbeaten? No. There will be a period where we lose a game. But it's about how we respond to that. We avoided that today but now it's up to someone else to beat us now.
"That's us now gone to Ibrox and got a last-minute winner, done the same at Alloa and now come here and got a draw with another last-minute goal.
"I said to the boys at half-time that this is an opportunity to prove the doubters wrong, to prove the people who think the bubble is going to burst wrong.
"That's the first time we have been behind in the league this season but we showed good spirit to get back into it.
"We went a goal down, lost a man and our captain Danny Wilson to injury but kept going. Eventually we got Alim's strike.
"It's credit to him because after training he practises his shots because we ask him to step forward into midfield. It's one of those one where he will hit five and four will go over the bar, with one hitting the target. Today he got his one in 10 that goes in the back of the net.
Neilson revealed he will have a chat with Callum Paterson after his vicious challenge on Malonga resulted in a straight red card.
"I haven't seen Callum's tackle back yet but from what I'm hearing it was a bad one. We all make mistakes,” Neilson said.
“His team-mates pulled him out a hole but we will talk to him this week and try to advise him to watch his tackling in future."
The result means Hibernian are 14 points behind their local rivals, but manager Alan Stubbs insists there is much to play for.
Stubbs took many positives from the performance, which saw his team stretch their unbeaten run to six games.
"It's obviously disappointing to lose it so late in the game but I thought we were outstanding. We did so many good things in the game,” Stubbs said.
"I'm proud of the players and proud of the performance. It wasn't bad for a 'poor team'.
"I would have liked another goal but you don't always get what you want in football. That's the same with the result. The lad will hit another 999 shots and none of them will be on target.
"Where does this leave our promotion hopes? Ask me again in February or March. Nothing was won today. There were a few celebrations at the end. I noticed that."
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