1st February 2022 Hibs 0 Hearts 0

 

This is the big one, the Edinburgh Derby, Hibs v Hearts at Easter Road. The first match I ever went to was when my dad took me to seee Hibs v Hearts in 19666. Hibs won 3-1 which was common in the late 60’s and early 70’s however since then Hearts have generally had the upper hand. Hibs are on longer issuing programmes having stopped earlier this season. Given that there have been no programme sellers at the away end for a number of years there is no great loss to Hearts fans. I left home around 18.20 and wandered halfway along Princes Street before catching a bus. Buses are being diverted because of tram works and I could not get off at the top of Easter Road as usual. However I got off at the top of Abbeyhill and walked down to the ground. Covid checks are still in place but I was not asked to provide proof of vaccination as I approached the turnstiles. All fans had to submit to a body search before being allowed through the turnstiles which I think is ridiculous. It obviously did not work as flares were thrown onto the pitch before kick-off. I entered the ground at 19.15 and headed to my seat in the upper tier of the South Stand. I was in the front row and had a excellent view of the full pitch.

Hearts made two changes to the starting line-up from their last game against Motherwell. Barrie McKay replaced Gary Mackay-Steven on the wing while Toby Sibbick replaced the injured John Souttar. The Souttar transfer saga continues with Rangers having made another offer to Hearts to take the player now rather than wait for him to move on his pre-contract agreement in the summer. Hearts turned the offer down as they wish to keep him to help them retain third place in the SPL and also do well in the Scottish Cup. Hibs under new manager Shawn Maloney have made a number of new signings in the transfer in the transfer window. They have brought in Elias Melkersen (Bodo/Glimt) Ewan Henderson (Celtic), Harry Clarke (Arsenal, loan), Rocky Bushiri (Norwich, loan), Chris Mueller (Orlando City), Demitri Mitchell (Blackpool), Runar Hauge (Bodo/Glimt), Sylvester Jasper (Fulham, loan). Mitchell is an interesting signing with the player having had two spells on loan at Hearts while he was at Manchester Utd. He started tonight on the  bench have scored in his debut against Livingston on Saturday. However they have lost Martin Boyle to Saudi Arablia for a fee believed to be around £2m. Hibs keeper Matt Macey was injured during Saturdays match and was replaced in goal by Kevin Dabrowski making his first competitive start for the club. He does have some first team experience during  loan spells at Cowdenbeath and Dumbarton. I saw him a few times when he was in loan at Civil Service Strollers and he looked a good keeper. 

The game started well for Hearts and Cammy Devlin volleyed over the Hibs bar after a good pass from Beni Baningime. However the game was tough and both Hibs Lewis Stevenson and Hearts Taylor Moore were booked in the early minutes. After Moore’s booking Hibs fired the free-kick in the Hearts penalty box and Kevin Nisbet’s scuffed attempt hit the post although thankfully the assistant referee had has flag up for offside. After a foul and a booking for Andy Halliday for a foul on Mueller another free-kick was launched into the Hearts penalty area. Ryan Porteous headed into the net with the aid of a deflection but again the assistant referee’s flag was raised. If I was being honest I saw nothing wrong in the build-up to the ball hitting the net.  Around the twenty-five minute mark a pass from Devlin found Ellis Simms on he edge of the Hibs penalty box. he played  one two with Boyce and burst into the area before being taken out by Lewis Stevenson charging into him with no attempt to play the ball. Astonishingly referee Don Robertson waved play on. Just before halftime Simms fed Liam Boyce whose shot was parried into the air by Hibs keeper Dabrowski. Simms followed up but the ball hit his head rather than the forward heading the ball. The ball then flew over the Hibs cross-bar.

While Hibs probably had most of the play in the first half the second half was a different story and could almost be called the Dabrowski v Simms show as Hearts improved greatly on their first half showing. McKay sent a perfect pass into the right hand side of the penalty area for Simmsto run onto. The strikers shot was blocked at his near post by Dabrowski as was the case with a similar situation later in the half. With twenty minutes to go Simms broke down the right but again Dabrowski diverted the ball wide. Simms then forced Rocky Bushiri into a misplaced back-pass which lead to Dabrowski diving across his box to prevent an own goal. Hearts were awarded an indirect free-kick in the penalty area for the second match in a row. With the Hibs wall lined up on the six yard line Stephen Kingsley touched the ball sideways to substitute Alex Cochrane. His shot was blocked by Stevenson’s arms as he pushed out from the wall but incredibly referee Robertson again waved away appeals for a Hearts penalty. Hibs had their first shot on target in eighty minutes with Gordon comfortably saving Ewan Henderson’s long range effort. Despite Hearts pressure His almost stole the points in injury time. A cross from Henderson found Josh Campbell on the six yard line. His shot be a Gordon but Sibbick had spotted the danger and blocked the efoort on the goal-line before clearing the danger. This was not the best game I have seen this season but Hearts will be happy with a point to maintain their lead over Motherwell, Aberdeen and Hibs in the race for a European place next season. 

After the game I managed to get out of the ground quite quickly. I thought I would have the walk to either Regent Road or Leith Walk across the railway bridge in Bothwell street. I noticed a few Hearts fans going the other way so I decided to follow them to avoid the crowd. The route took me out at  Meadowbank Retail Park via Lawrie Reilly Place. Why do the Council have a street named after a former Hibs player ? Why not also a Dave Mackay Avenue or a Tommy Walker place? At Meadowbank I crossed the road and caught a 104 bus which stops at Atholl Crescent. A short walk and I was home by 10,20 after an enjoyable but frustrating night. 

Teams

Hibs: Dabrowski, Doig, Porteous, Doidge, Newell, Mueller, Nisbet, Stevenson, Doyle-Hayes, Cadden, Bushiri. 

Subs: Mitchell, Henderson, Campbell, Wright.

Hearts: Gordon, Kingsley, Baningime, Boyce, Atkinson, Devlin, Moore, Halliday , McKay, Simms, Sibbick. 
Subs: Cochrane, Woodburn, Ginnelly, Haring