Hibees’ ecstasy leaves Jambos gutted

SIMPLY shocking or simply majestic. The agony and the ecstasy of the Edinburgh derby left Hibs supporters marooned on an island of dreams today - and Hearts fans green with envy.

"I think," said Gavin McLean, a Hibs fan from Leith, "that a few beers are called for."

After a stunning 6-2 win over their oldest rivals, those Hibs fans who didn’t follow McLean into the pubs around Easter Road last night were simply drunk on adrenaline.

Their Hearts counterparts? Well, they were simply punch-drunk.

"The team doesn’t believe it can beat Hibs now," said Valerie Mentiplay, a Hearts supporter from East Craigs. "There is no fight on show in the derbies any more. Some of the players need to have a good look at themselves."

As the PA system blasted out U2’s ‘Beautiful Day’, the visiting Hearts fans who had bravely stayed to the end of the rout were left singing the blues. "It was a simply shocking display," said Andrew Traynor from Gilmerton. "We lacked penetration and direction. Something has to be sorted out at the club."

Gorgie man Lindsay Young added: "We began well but appeared to sit back, then got pushed back. We just don’t seem to be able to handle Hibs in the last few games."

Years of Hearts domination of the Capital derby seem a distant memory now for fans on both sides of the football divide.

And, as the 6-2 win joined the famous 7-0 win in 1973 in Hibs legend, the jokes had already started.

"Cheer up Jim Jefferies, you were lucky," said Brian Henderson, from Marchmont, recalling the Hearts manager’s role in the 1970s drubbing.

"Are you watching Kenny Miller?" added Liam Sutherland, from Bruntsfield.

Rangers striker Miller is history now, though, according to Iain Gray from Restalrig.

"It was a fantastic performance," he said, "and the board should now break the bank to get Alex McLeish and Russell Latapy on long-term deals. John O’Neil was outstanding, and he should be in the next Scotland squad."

Hibs diehard Joe Vetesse, from Liberton, added: "That’s the best I’ve ever seen Hibs play, and I’ve been watching them since the 1950s. Mixu Paatelainen deserves a lot of credit for his goals and the work-rate he put in."

While some were casting their minds back to the glory days of the Famous Five, others were just delighted with the here and now.

Grant Forbes, from Granton, said: "That’s the best Hibs have played this season. Mixu was superb, and it’s a great feeling to be seven points clear of Rangers."

And Jack Allan, from Gorgie, added: "That was a real football team out there; the genuine article, and I’m so proud. Everyone is making a big deal out of the fact that Celtic are 12 points clear of Rangers, but we’re right in there."

They came from near and far to share in history. Stuart McDonald travelled from Birmingham. "This is my greatest trip up here," he said. "We got off to a slow start but, after about 15 minutes, there was only one team in the game. To end 6-2 was absolutely wonderful."

Callum Bruce lives just down the road in Leith. "If we keep this up, we’re going to win the league."

And there was little sympathy for beaten Hearts.

"Mixu, Zitelli and O’Neil ran Hearts ragged. We recovered from a slow start, and just imagine what the score would have been if we had started like we finished," said Tommy Louden, from Craigmillar.

"Hearts are a team of old has-beens. With the players we have, we can compete with the best."

John Fraser, from Willowbrae, added: "It was a great performance from the boys. You can’t fault any of them. Days like this only happen now and again."

For the maroon legions, however, it was nightmare.

"Hibs were great but Hearts were a shambles," said Brian Watt from Glasgow. "Chris Robinson is bleeding the club dry at Tynecastle and he needs to go before things can get better for them."

And the final words went to a miserable Stephanie Bain - "there is nothing that can be said" - and an ecstatic John Fraser. "I think I’ll have SIX pints," he said.

Taken from the Scotsman