Hearts 0 Hibernian 0

By Simon Buckland, PA Sport

Didier Agathe's glaring first-half miss summed up a frustrating Edinburgh derby in which both sides gave everything but nothing went right in front of goal.

The Hibernian striker, after seeing an earlier effort disallowed for offside, fluffed his strike when presented with an empty net - and it was to prove costly.

After a free-flowing opening half, chances were at a premium after the break as Hearts and Hibernian, both with makeshift line-ups, had to settle for each making their point.

There was little evidence either of these capital clubs will challenge the dominance of Glasgow's Old Firm - but it was a match which, despite being scoreless, never wanted for action.

The only unsavoury moment saw Hearts goalkeeper Antti Niemi struck but unhurt by a plastic cup thrown from the away end - and what Agathe would have done for such accuracy of shot.

Hearts were the stronger team at first and came close after just five minutes when Andy Kirk hooked an effort just wide of the post after Hibernian failed to clear a Thomas Flogel free-kick.

Midfielder Scott Severin was operating as a makeshift forward because of injuries and suspensions but soon settled into his new role as Hibernian's new-look team struggled to settle.

A Juanjo corner was met firmly by Severin, and when his fierce header was blocked Kirk pounced again to fire a low shot narrowly wide while the visiting defence remained static.

That lesson was not absorbed, and another Juanjo corner was again met by Severin this time - Matthias Jack blocking with Hearts' claims of handball ignored by referee Kenny Clark.

It was a lively opening summed up in one passage of play which saw Hibernian goalkeeper Nick Colgan save at the feet of Kirk - and moments later Niemi saved from Agathe at the other end.

A Stevie Fulton free-kick on 20 minutes caused more havoc in the visitors' backline, with Juanjo given a clear sight of goal only to drag his effort wide from the edge of the area.

Against the run of play, Hibernian had the ball in the net seven minutes later only for Agathe - who converted from close range at the far post - to be ruled offside and the goal to be disallowed.

Having survived an early onslaught, Hibernian came into the game at last - and Mixu Paatelainen, one of several of his team sporting newly-shaven heads after a pre-season tour prank, nodded over.

On 38 minutes, Agathe produced a contender for one of the misses of the season as after beating Steven Pressley and rounding Niemi he presented himself with an open goal.

What happened next was extraordinary as Agathe seemed to lose his balance before scuffing a shot with his wrong foot which rolled towards goal but was cleared off the line by Flogel.

From the resulting corner taken by Russell Latapy, Ulrik Laursen sent a firm header goalwards that Niemi did well to tip over one-handed to preserve the deadlock.

Franck Sauzee, who opted against retirement at the end of last season for one more year, showed his class with a curled free-kick Niemi did superbly well to save on 55 minutes.

Agathe's miserable debut after his summer switch from Raith on a three-month deal continued moments later as he directed the ball wide from close range.

Hearts were the next to threaten. Gary Naysmith picked out by Fulton on the left, and Kirk was inches away from converting a ball clipped across the face of goal.

The atmosphere turned sour on the hour mark when Hearts goalkeeper Niemi was struck by the plastic container as he tried to take a goal-kick in front of the Hibernian support.

With Niemi shaken by the incident, the culprit was quickly identified with Sauzee acting as a peacemaker before police led away the fan deemed to be responsible.

Agathe was replaced on 68 minutes with youngster Tom McManus taking his place, while Hearts in turn introduced the half-fit Gary McSwegan for the tiring Kirk.

McManus almost made an instant impact but was slow to run on to an inviting Laursen pass, allowing Naysmith to muscle him out, and then Paatelainen saw a header saved by Niemi.

With four minutes remaining, a Cameron snap shot went close, while in the closing minute a stunning save by Colgan stopped McSwegan stealing victory with a diving header.

Teams

Hearts: Niemi, Flogel, Naysmith, Pressley, Petric, Tomaschek, Fulton (Simpson 78), Cameron, Severin, Kirk (McSwegan 72), Juanjo.

Subs Not Used: Rousset, Murray, O'Neil.

Booked: Cameron.

Hibernian: Colgan, Fenwick, Laursen, Jack, G. Smith, T. Smith, Sauzee, Latapy, O'Neil, Agathe (McManus 68), Paatelainen.

Subs Not Used: Westwater, Lovell, Lehmann, Murray.

Booked: G. Smith, T. Smith, O'Neil, Fenwick.

Att: 17,132

Ref: Kenny Clark (Scotland).


Taken from sportinglife.com