Hibernian halted Hearts’ pursuit of the Premiership title with a dramatic 3-2 victory in the Edinburgh derby, managing to withstand a late resurgence from their rivals.
Jamie McGrath opened the scoring for the Hibees just three minutes in, executing a perfect volley from Nicky Cadden’s cross.
McGrath then assisted Josh Campbell with a headed goal just before halftime, while Hearts struggled to register any shots on target throughout the first half.
Kieron Bowie added a third goal for Hibs, bringing them one step closer to consecutive home victories against Hearts for the first time in seven years. However, Hearts captain Lawrence Shankland responded with a goal from a corner, sparking some hope for the league leaders. Late in the game, Nicky Devlin added another goal for Hearts, but Hibs’ goalkeeper Raphael Sallinger made remarkable saves in stoppage time to secure the win.
Hibs Celebrate Derby Victory
Hibernian took an early lead in the third minute, with smoke from a pyro display still lingering in the stands. Nicky Cadden delivered a diagonal pass to McGrath, who controlled it expertly to score from 10 yards out. Hearts, while initially passive, started gaining momentum and had a key opportunity to equalize when Shankland sent a free header wide.
As the match progressed, Hibs capitalized on their chances. Near halftime, McGrath’s cross found Campbell, who executed a brilliant near-post header to make it 2-0. In the second half, Hearts made tactical changes, but Bowie extended the lead to 3-0 shortly after the restart, firing a precise shot past the keeper.
Hearts managed to pull one back with Shankland’s header, and then Devlin scored in the dying minutes, bringing the score to 3-2. Despite this, Hibs held firm, with their goalkeeper making crucial saves to deny a formidable comeback from Hearts.
Post-Match Thoughts
David Gray, Hibs head coach, expressed satisfaction with the win: “It’s a massive victory for us. The players deserve this after their efforts this season. We now need to build on this success. Our performance levels must improve as we move forward.”
Derek McInnes, Hearts head coach, reflected on the match: “We struggled to do the basics well. Hibs proved to be the better team in the first half. We need to recover quickly, as two defeats in 19 games is still a decent record, but we must be honest about our performance today.”
