Winner in derby would top Ibrox glory day

IVAN SPROULE wrote himself into Easter Road folklore when he became the first Hibs player for more than a century to score a hat-trick at Ibrox.

But today he claimed even that historic feat would be surpassed if he could score the winner in Saturday's Edinburgh derby at Tynecastle.

In his first year with Tony Mowbray's side the flying midfield star has tasted both the ecstasy and agony such occasions can bring, leaving him in no doubt as to the emotion he wants to be feeling when the final blast of referee Stuart Dougal's whistle brings the latest encounter between the Capital sides to an end.

The outcome of any derby is, of course, of paramount importance, the winners left to gloat for the coming months while the losers slink away to lick their wounds promising they'll come out on top next time round.

However, this weekend there is more at stake than just bragging rights with Hearts still defiantly claiming they can overhaul Celtic at the top of the SPL table while Sproule and his team-mates, having trimmed the Jambos' advantage to six points, have their sights firmly set on leapfrogging their rivals in second place.

Home advantage and the fact they are above Hibs give Hearts fans every reason to believe they go into the game as favourites with memories of their 4-0 trouncing of Mowbray's side on the second day of the season still vivid in their minds.

Hibs, however, took full advantage of being on home turf at the end of October, ending Hearts' unbeaten start to the season in dramatic fashion with goals from Guillaume Beuzelin and Garry O'Connor.

And, despite a disappointing run of results recently - ended with last weekend's victory over Dunfermline, Hibs have kept very much in touch with the Gorgie outfit even if they now feel fourth-placed Rangers hard on their shoulder.

Sproule said: "The defeat at Tynecastle was hard to take, it went down as 4-0 to Hearts in the record books and, even if we feel that scoreline wasn't a true reflection, it's the result that counts, nothing else.

"To be fair to Hearts they were playing very well under George Burley.

"They'd had a good start to the season and I felt they were well worth their win that day.

"After that game people were already writing us off as one-season wonders but we knew that wasn't the case and in our next few matches we went on the sort of run you need to drive you up the table.

"And, when Hearts came to Easter Road a couple of months later, we were equally worthy of our win and anyone who was there would admit it could have been more.

"Come Saturday Hearts will be concentrating on catching Celtic but we will be going into the game looking to get even closer to them.

"I think it's great for the city to have both clubs pushing Celtic and Rangers. It promises to be another cracking derby, one that not only the players, management teams and fans of the respective clubs are looking forward to but also the rest of the SPL.

"Hearts have not hidden their ambitions, they want to push for the League with the players they have brought in and the money they have spent while Tony Mowbray hasn't had that luxury.

"But we are determined to do as well as we can again this season and we have already proved that on our day we can match any other team."

Just as he feels the final outcome of the first derby of the season didn't tell the full story, Sproule believes Hibs' recent results haven't given a true reflection of his side's performances. He added: "We had a wee rough run over Christmas but hopefully that is out of our system now and we can look to get European football again at the end of the season. We have been playing good football without getting the results but sometimes you simply have to forget about playing well and concentrate on grinding out results.

"No disrespect to Rangers, but I don't feel they've been playing at the top of their game in recent weeks but they have been getting points on the board.

"No-one remembers how you've won so long as you have done so.

"And, to be honest, I'd gladly settle for us grinding out a 1-0 win on Saturday."

With Sproule perhaps adding to his mantle as an Easter Road hero? The Northern Ireland internationalist said: "I remember Dean Shiels scoring the winner at Tynecastle last season and how good it was for him.

"It's something I'd love to do myself. It'd be great to get my first derby goal this weekend and if it were to be the winner I think I'd pick it over my hat-trick against Rangers any day."

Personal glory, though, comes secondary to the objective - winning. And to that end Sproule believes Hibs pose a threat to Craig Gordon's goal from all areas of the pitch, not least the lethal boots of top scorer Derek Riordan who signalled he's back on form with two contenders for goal of the season against the Pars.

Sproule said: "Derek's a great finisher as everyone knows but we have goals throughout the team, not just the front two which is a terrific thing for any side to have. But Hearts have their own firepower so it will be an interesting match."

Hearts owner Vladimir Romanov has, since the second derby, complained that in that defeat for his side along with reverses by Rangers and Celtic that his side were "mutilated" in each of those games, an assertion which Sproule insists has brought no more than a wry grin to the faces of him and his team-mates.

He said: "Mr Romanov likes to express his opinions, he's never shy of doing that but I think in the derbies this season we've had a lot of good quality football.

"But derbies all over the world are physical matches, the players and fans are passionate about the game. I am sure Hearts will get stuck in just as much as we will; in a derby there's so much for you to lose."

Hibs' trip to the other side of the city will be followed by a visit to the other side of the country as they roll up to Ibrox for their Tennent's Scottish Cup clash with Rangers and while he admitted a win at Tynecastle would be the perfect boost to confidence, Sproule insisted it has, as yet, never been mentioned in the Easter Road dressing-room.

He said: "We haven't discussed Rangers closing the gap on us as we've been too concerned about catching Hearts and that's the mental strength within our squad.

"We're more intent in trying to put together a run of five or six wins in succession not only to stretch away from them again but to pull the sides ahead tighter to us.

"Likewise the Cup game. It hasn't been mentioned. The only game in our mind is Saturday. We want to do as well as we can in the League and our full concentration is going into this weekend and, hopefully, emerging with the three points."

Taken from the Scotsman