Hibs followed up their 1-0 midweek win over Hamilton with a similar victory over city rivals Hearts.
Hibs hard fought win over Hamilton had lifted them back into the top half of the league table. It was a game that Hibs just deserved to win, maybe they deserved a bit of good fortune after a pretty poor couple of months. The goal was scored by Steven Fletcher late in the second half.
So the win over Hamilton set Hibs up for the Edinburgh derby, Hearts had been favourites as they sat in 3rd place 12 points clear of Hibs.
The game was played in a typical derby style, fast and furious. Hearts started the game better but it was Hibs who took the lead on 15 minutes when Steven Fletcher headed home an O'Brian cross. Hibs then had slightly the better of the first half which ended in a explosive way.
Fletcher was sent through on goal only for the keeper to bring him down and receive a red card. Two minutes later it was Hibs who were down to 10 men when Bamba held back Nade in a similar position.
The second half was never going to match the first with both teams playing a slightly more cautious game. Hearts pushed hard for an equaliser in the last 15 minutes but Hibs held strong and picked up a very important 3 points.
Hibs are nine points off third now but will have to keep raising their game if European football is to return to Easter Road next season.
The Round Ball in Ankara! Dedicated to football lovers in Ankara (Except for those who follow Osmanlispor)
Two wins on the trot is good news, but I have a feeling that Hibs have left it a wee bit too late for the UEFA Cup slot.
ReplyDeleteHowever, my predictions are infamous in Ankara and so we should not pay too much heed to them !
Good news coming out of Easter Road yesterday was the announcement that 7 of the Hibs Youth Academy have signed full time contracts with the Club. The Youth Coach was quoted as saying ......
“It is a testimony to the quality of the players and the coaching within our system that so many from the Youth Academy will be challenging in the first team squad next season,” Bill Hendry said of the news today, adding: “These young players have all shown that they have the quality to move up a level, and we hope to see them form the nucleus of Hibernian first teams of the future.”
We are always hoping and praying that Ankaragucu and Gencler can bring some quality youth players in and, more importantly, keep them at the Clubs for a reasonable length of time !!
This is the only way forward for Clubs which can't shell out the big bucks willy nilly !!