It was almost as if there was an element of mischief about the choice of sponsor on the perimeter advertising at Easter Road. Scrolling around the pitch on Hibs’ hi-tech LED screen was the slogan of a company who make baby-feeding equipment. ‘Don’t lose your bottle,’ it roared.
For 86 long minutes, you wondered if Hearts had done exactly that. Until almost the end of this enthrallingly bizarre Edinburgh derby, they could not for the life of them get what they needed, despite pinning back a Hibs team who had played most of the first half with 10 men, most of the second half with nine.
Rangers had lost at home to Motherwell earlier in the day. Hibs goalkeeper Raphael Sallinger had been sent off after 13 minutes. The home side’s unhinged midfielder, Felix Passlack, then added to the red card count by being dismissed three minutes after the interval.
All of which should have made life easy for Hearts as they laid siege to their opponents’ goal, but somehow they struggled to cancel out Martin Boyle’s early opener, never mind step forward and claim what was being presented to them, namely three points, gift-wrapped in a maroon bow.
But Hearts haven’t come so far in this remarkable title challenge by accepting defeat. And here they were again, coming up with a late rally that kept their show on the road. With 25 minutes left, they equalised as Lawrence Shankland’s backheel went in off Warren O’Hora. With four minutes left on the clock, they got the winner, this time through substitute Blair Spittal.
In six of the last nine Edinburgh derbies, Hearts have scored a goal in the 86th minute or after. None was bigger than this priceless strike, which kept them three points clear with four games left and firmly on course to pull off a championship triumph for the ages.
Even by the standards of the capital derby, it was a manic, frenzied affair in which both teams dug so deep that they almost unearthed the Easter Road foundations. Hearts ached for the three points that would keep their dream alive. Hibs yearned to deny them.
There was an air of desperation about Hibs and their supporters from the start. Three points would be helpful for David Gray’s side in their quest to qualify for Europe, but let’s not pretend that it was the fans’ priority. They had altogether more pressing concerns.
Hibs have had a decent season, but it has been rendered inadequate by that of their high-flying neighbours and it will become a source of unprecedented trauma if Hearts go on to win the title for the first time since 1960.
An end to the Old Firm’s 41-year stranglehold of the Scottish championship would be an international story of excruciating proportions for those in the east of the city.
And the truth is that Hibs’ burning need of a victory cost them. A lack of composure, coupled with an inability to channel their aggression in a productive manner, was a failure that will hugely frustrate their manager.
First it was Sallinger who wasn’t calm enough to deal with a simple through ball. Instead of letting it travel into the box, he lost his bearings and snatched it into his arms before it could reach the 18-yard line. After Don Robertson was sent to the pitch side monitor, a red card was the only possible outcome.
Then it was Passlack, who had looked like an accident waiting to happen with his crazed celebration of a front-post clearance. Booked in the first half, he was sent off just after the interval thanks to a late lunge that caught Beni Baningime at the thigh. Gray will be furious with him.
For long spells, Hearts also seemed to lack the necessary patience. Too keen to take advantage, they rushed the ball forward when there was plenty of time to spread it wide and let their numerical superiority do the work. Only when Hibs tired and space opened up did the goals come, both created by substitute Sabah Kerjota.
In the end, this epic win was a triumph of the spirit. They got the job done by sticking to their task and keeping the faith.
If Derek McInnes and his players go on to lift the title, they will look back on it as a match in which they did what champions do. They kept their bottle on a day when Hibs couldn’t.
