Hearts 2 - 1 Hibernian

Kisnorbo gave the Jambos a half-time lead with a powerful volley in the 15th minute.

Then, just a minute after arriving as a substitute, Ramon Pereira set up Hamill for the second in the 76th minute.

Derek Riordan hit a consolation for the visitors with a tremendous 20-yard volley in the final minute.

The early stages of the game were frantic.

Within a minute, a Robbie Neilson throw-in had the Hibs defence under pressure, but keeper Simon Brown eased the visitors' nerves when he came out confidently to save.

Riordan then found himself in the book in the third minute for a late challenge on Neilson and McKenna had a decent shot from 25 yards which was gathered comfortably by Brown.

The Easter Road side were clearly struggling to adapt to the pace of the game as Hearts dominated possession.

In the 10th minute, however, it was the visitors who nearly stole into the lead with Riordan's free-kick from 25 yards.

But the youngster's strike went just inches wide of Craig Gordon's right post.

But it was the home side who got the breakthrough in the 15th minute with midfielder Patrick Kisnorbo's second goal of the season.

Joe Hamill's deep cross from the left found McKenna stretching to get his header in at the back post.

Brown came out under pressure to fist clear, but the ball fell to the unmarked Kisnorbo 16 yards from goal.

The Australian took a touch to steady the ball before hammering his shot into the roof of the net.

The home side, boosted by their goal, were well on top now as Hibs continued to struggle to get any sort of passing game together.

Play was constantly interrupted with niggly fouls and bad-tempered spats between players, although it was the visitors who seemed to be affected the most by the fragmented action.

The Easter Road men, though, battled furiously to get back on level terms but, too often, their final pass into the penalty area went astray.

As the first half drew to a close, there was little between the sides but the lack of goalmouth action indicated Kisnorbo's opener might split the side at the interval.

In the 40th minute, O'Connor, who was being well marshalled by the Jambos' defence, sprung up with a speculative shot from 30 yards which fizzed past Gordon's left-hand post.

HT Hearts 1 Hibernian 0

At the interval Hearts surprisingly brought on Dennis Wyness for Stamp, who had been the home side's best player in the first half.

When the action got underway there was an early penalty appeal by Hibs when midfielder Stephen Fletcher clashed with Hearts full-back Alan Maybury inside the Hearts penalty area but referee Mike McCurry was having none of it.

In the 51st minute Hibs skipper Ian Murray was deservedly booked for a blatant foul on Paul Hartley as the Hearts midfielder made for goal.

The Leith side stepped up the pace now, forcing the Jambos towards their own penalty area and Dean Shiels had a great chance to equalise in the 55th minute when he found himself alone in the Hearts box with only Gordon to beat after Andy Webster's careless back-header was off-target.

However, the ball would not drop quickly enough for the Hibs youngster and his lobbed effort from 14 yards landed on top of the net.

At the other end, the increasingly impressive Hartley had a vicious drive from 25 yards which Brown did well to save on the goalline.

As the second half wore on, the war of attrition continued apace with Hibs defender Gary Caldwell also finding himself in the book for a foul on Wyness.

In the 67th minute however, Hearts should have been 2-0 up when McKenna found himself alone at the back post when a Hamill cross came over from the right but the big Canadian headed wide when he should have at least hit the target.

In the 75th minute, Levein made a substitution which had an immediate effect.

Ramon Pereira replaced Weir and, just a minute after the Spaniard had come on, the home side had doubled their lead.

The former Raith Rovers player worked his way to the by-line on the right and, when he cut the ball back, Hamill flicked the pass into the far corner of the net from 10 yards.

With five minutes remaining, Maybury was confident enough to try his luck from 25 yards and his well-struck drive went just wide.

With seconds remaining, Riordan reduced the deficit with an excellent volley from 20 yards after a cross by David Murphy, but it was too little too late for the Easter Road side.

Taken from the BBC