Hibernian survived a heart-stopping finale to claim a dramatic 3-2 victory over city rivals Hearts in a pulsating Edinburgh derby at Easter Road. David Gray's side raced into a commanding three-goal lead, only for the visitors to stage a remarkable late fightback, which was ultimately thwarted by two superb injury-time saves from home goalkeeper Raphael Sallinger.
A Festive Banner and a Fast Start
The tone was set early by a banner in the home ultras' section, urging Hibs to "Deck the Hearts with jabs and volleys." The hosts delivered on that instruction within three minutes. A brilliant diagonal pass from Dan Barlaser found Nicky Cadden on the left, whose excellent cross was met with a superb half-volley finish from Jamie McGrath, sending the home support into raptures.
Hearts, rattled, offered little in response for much of the first half. Their best chance fell to captain Lawrence Shankland, whose firm header from a Stephen Kingsley cross drifted just wide. Hibs capitalised on their dominance just before the interval. After Cadden went off injured, substitute Josh Campbell made an instant impact, meeting a McGrath cross with a deft glancing header to double the lead.
The Collapse and the Comeback
The game appeared to be over as a contest just three minutes after the restart. Kieron Bowie made it 3-0 with a clinical, curling left-footed finish after a Stuart Findlay clearance rebounded into his path. For 75 minutes, Hearts were abject, their midfield overrun and defending well below standard.
Then, the match turned on its head. With a quarter of an hour remaining, Shankland powered home a header from an Alexandros Kyziridis cross to spark belief. The comeback turned into a full-blown crisis for Hibs when, two minutes from time, Cammy Devlin pounced after Sallinger could only parry a Kyziridis shot, making it 3-2.
Sallinger the Saviour in Stoppage Time
The frantic climax reached its peak in the first minute of added time. Kyziridis delivered another dangerous cross from the left, and Shankland connected firmly, his effort looking destined for the near corner. In a moment of pure instinct, Raphael Sallinger flicked out his right boot to deflect the ball wide. The Austrian keeper was called into action again in the 96th minute, saving from Beni Baningime to finally secure a monumental three points for the relieved hosts.
For Hearts, the spirit shown in the final 15 minutes offers some encouragement, but the first 75 will be a major concern for manager Derek McInnes. The performance highlighted areas needing reinforcement in the January transfer window. For Hibernian, this was a statement victory, albeit one achieved the hard way, and sets a standard they will hope to maintain in the New Year.
