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| <-Page | <-Team | Sat 01 Jan 2011 Hearts 1 Hibernian 0 | Team-> | Page-> |
| <-Srce | <-Type | Scotsman ------ Report | Type-> | Srce-> |
| Jim Jefferies 2nd | <-auth | Stuart Bathgate | auth-> | Calum Murray |
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| 9 | of 012 | Kevin Kyle 86 | L SPL | H |
Hearts win honours as final touch deserts HibernianBy STUART BATHGATE at TYNECASTLE Hearts 1 Kyle 86 Hibernian 0 PERSEVERE is the motto of Leith, but Gorgie borrowed it on Saturday as Hearts left it late to claim a deserved fourth consecutive victory in the Edinburgh derby. Overwhelming favourites can often become gripped by self-doubt the longer a game goes on without a goal, but Jim Jefferies' team are made of sterner stuff these days. They had had to be patient three days earlier at St Mirren before securing the points with two second-half goals, and that experience stood them in good stead against a combative and well-organised Hibernian team whose defiance in defence came close to earning them an improbable point. Just as the visitors' hopes of such a morale-boosting result were rising, however, on came Arvydas Novikovas. The Lithuanian winger's appearance off the bench was greeted with cries of "Who are you?" from the away supporters. Within minutes they had their answer: one of the best dribblers and crossers of the ball in the SPL, that's who. While team-mates such as David Templeton had found no way through, Novikovas' fresh legs made the difference. Evading three Hibs defenders down the left, he delivered a cross to Kevin Kyle, who nodded in at the back post. Hearts had their goal, and in the minutes that remained Hibs had no reply. The conclusion to the game might just have been different had another substitute, Colin Nish, been on target shortly before Novikovas' entry when he was put through on goal by Derek Riordan. It was Hibs' best chance, but the striker pulled his shot wide of the left post from around 12 yards out. That lost opportunity knocked some of the stuffing out of Hibs, but for all their disappointment at the result, the game must have bolstered their belief that they can drag themselves clear of a relegation scrap. This was one of the rare occasions this season when each man in green and white appeared to know what his role was meant to be and to be determined not to let his team-mates down: the result was a more coherent performance, which if matched in the coming weeks will surely yield points. It was far from pretty. Ian Murray was lucky to stay on the park after clattering into Ian Black in the opening minutes, while Liam Miller and Valdas Trakys joined their captain in the referee's book during a first half which also saw Adrian Mrowiec of Hearts yellow-carded. But prettiness and artistry are the last things Hibs need right now. Their priority is to do the basics well, and above all that means cutting out the basic errors which have led to too many recent defeats. The first step to the rediscovery of winning ways is often becoming hard to beat, and in that aspect of the game at least, Colin Calderwood has to have been happy with what he saw here. Needless to say, overall Jim Jefferies was the happier of the two managers. This result extended Hearts' unbeaten run to nine matches, eight of which have been won, and at least ensured that the two teams above them will have to remain on their toes. Jefferies continues to resist talk about splitting the Old Firm, rightly insisting that the priority has to be to mount a sustained, credible challenge. With games against both Rangers and Celtic coming up this month,we will soon find out how sustainable that challenge is. One factor in Hearts' favour is the growing strength of their squad. Jefferies has had to make several changes because of illness and injury in the last couple of games, but the introduction of reserves has had no adverse effect. Moreover, important players such as Lee Wallace and Andrew Driver are on the verge of returning from long lay-offs. Wallace should slot back in at left-back, leaving Ruben Palazuelos to fight it out for a place in midfield, but Driver faces a tough fight to break back into the team. Templeton is probably due a rest, having gone off the boil a bit after playing the best football of his career over the past couple of months. However, Novikovas has surely done enough to merit a starting place before Jefferies thinks about restoring Driver. Besides providing the match-winning cross for Kyle, the winger also laid on a chance minutes earlier, again at the back post, for Gary Glen. This one was on the ground, and Glen, who had come on at the same time as Novikovas, could only steer it just wide of the goal. Jefferies admitted that at the time he thought that might be his team's hopes of victory gone, and it was certainly the most clear-cut opening of the game up to that point. Rudi Skacel had three half-chances in the first half, and Mrowiec, Calum Elliot and Marius Zaliukas produced saves from Mark Brown in the second. Hibs had fewer sights of goal, and were unfortunate in that their two best chances, barring Nish's shot, fell to defender Francis Dickoh. Man of the match Ian Black (Hearts) After requiring treatment early in the game, the midfielder recovered to play an increasingly influential part in his team's victory. His close control was the best on the park, and his distribution helped Hearts stretch their opponents to breaking point. An exemplary performance from one often overlooked. Referee: C Murray Attendance: 17,156  Taken from the Scotsman |
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| <-Page | <-Team | Sat 01 Jan 2011 Hearts 1 Hibernian 0 | Team-> | Page-> |
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