“Martin Boyle gave Hibernian a shock early lead, silencing the visitors before they had found their rhythm.”
Pivotal“Felix Passlack received his second yellow card for a foul shortly after half-time, reducing Hearts to ten men themselves and briefly levelling the numerical battle.”
“Warren O'Hora turned the ball into his own net to level at 1-1, a devastating moment for the Hibs defender who had already been booked and had battled hard in a depleted defensive line.”
Pivotal“Blair Spittal, introduced from the bench, fired home to give Hearts a 2-1 lead and ultimately clinch the derby points in the closing stages.”
Pivotal
Hibernian
Hearts
Outstanding performance
Hearts•MidfielderHearts dominated this Edinburgh derby from start to finish, controlling 76% of possession and generating 23 shots to Hibernian's four, yet found themselves pegged back at 1-1 heading into the final quarter of the match. Hibs had taken a shock lead through Martin Boyle inside seven minutes, but the tie turned irrevocably when Raphael Sallinger was dismissed for a professional handball at 14 minutes, reducing the home side to ten men and handing Hearts the platform to suffocate the match. Warren O'Hora's own goal on 65 minutes — a cruel moment for the Hibs defender who had already picked up a yellow card — levelled things up after a frantic spell of changes and yellow cards around the break, including Felix Passlack's second booking that further complicated Hearts' afternoon numerically. Blair Spittal, introduced as a substitute, settled the tie four minutes from time, and the full-time whistle prompted a flurry of yellow cards as tempers boiled over — a fitting end to a match that never stopped simmering despite Hibs' desperate defensive rearguard, which ultimately stretched to a remarkable five saves on just one shot on target for Hearts to beat.
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