ALL OVER BAR THE ROUTING

HEARTS 4-1

HIBS

HIBS fans turned their backs on Wallace Mercer - then wheeled around and watched in horror as their team turned their stomachs.

Champions League? You're having a barf.

The Hibs support must have realised how terribly it was all going wrong when even old stager Gary Smith lost the plot and lashed out at Saulius Mikoliunas.

The red-card incident took place a minute from the interval - and it was pretty much the first time in the match a Hibs defender had managed to make contact with a Jambos frontman.

Even by that stage Hearts were three goals to the good and effectively nine points in front of their rivals, cementing second spot in the SPL as three sides of Tynecastle bounced so excitedly they almost moved their club closer to Celtic physically as well.

Hibee dreams of Old Trafford and the Nou Camp next season were trickling away like visiting fans out the School End and down McLeod Street, back to Lochend and Leith where the comfort that at least it wasn't six or seven would have been as cold as the grey January skies under which their team had just failed abysmally to perform.

Hibs players linked arms while Hearts fans and players cheered and applauded before kick-off in memory of former chairman Mercer but it was the last time the men from Easter Road would look united at the home of their arch rivals.

The game had not even finished when Tynecastle announcer Scott Wilson - the best in the business - was telling everyone in the ground the DVD of the match would be for sale in the Hearts shop shortly.

Somehow, he didn't need to add it will be a Certificate 18 for Tony Mowbray and his players when they get round to watching the action and pinpointing where it all went wrong ahead of next week's Scottish Cup visit to face Rangers at Ibrox.

It will make pleasant viewing for Jambos of all ages and perhaps even the more febrile critics will also use the 90 minutes to acknowledge it is about time they gave Graham Rix an even break.

He didn't sack George Burley but has had to cope with the fallout and confusion that arose from the one decision that more than any other could cost the Jambos the title this year.

Opinion on Rix seems to change almost weekly among an element of fans but three single-goal defeats in 11 matches, in which 21 goals have been scored, do not a bad boss make.

Rix could be forgiven recently for feeling like Michael Caine against the Zulus at Rorke's Drift and he'll also be pleased Vladimir Romanov is casting himself in the Lord Chelmsford role when he arrives with reinforcements for his squad before the transfer window closes on Tuesday.

A director of football riding sidesaddle wouldn't go amiss either because, quite frankly, Rix has been asked to do too much this year while still expecting to keep a team on course for at least second spot in the SPL.

Fittingly, there is a revolving door at the entrance to Riccarton as the Hearts squad could be boosted by up to seven new faces this month, while Rix has had to coach a team, assess countless trialists and speak to other signing targets.

Romanov's transfer dash has been too chaotic but the 16-hour days must be worth it for Rix on afternoons like these. He came up with a plan for a team assembled from an injury-hit squad to stifle the life out of the Hibs midfield and watched in the first half as the opposition were forced so far back they were almost sitting with their own fans behind Simon Brown's goal.

Paul Hartley and Lee Johnson look like outcasts from the Anthill mob who should be chasing Dastardly and Muttley rather than Kevin Thomson and Michael Stewart but they were energetic, beating Hearts in a five-man midfield that won the points.

Behind them, Julien Brellier prowled everywhere, although only the cynical among us raised eyebrows at the way he went in heavily on Scott Brown after six minutes, picking up a booking but ultimately putting the Hibs dangerman out the game and possibly affecting the outcome of the match.

On the left, man of the match Rudi Skacel gave poor Steven Whittaker a torrid time and was only embarrassed himself when he paraded around the park at the end in just his lycra underpants after throwing his shirt and shorts to supporters - even fan favourites can be left looking small when temperatures are only hovering around zero.

To be fair, Skacel was a standout earlier. He whipped in a low cross in 27 minutes that Paul Hartley nicked past keeper Brown for the opener and the Czech star then volleyed Hearts two in front five minutes before the break.

Worse was to follow for Hibs three minutes later when Whittaker and Caldwell hesitated and Skacel nipped in, forcing the new Celtic signing to bundle him over in the box for a penalty that was expertly converted by Hartley.

It was not a good day for Caldwell, although someone at Hearts really should have a word with the muppet who dresses up as amascot and stupidly tried to wrap amaroon scarf around the Hibs skipper's neck as he posed for pictures in the centre circle before kick-off - he was lucky he didn't suffer the same fate as Mikoliunas later.

The three-goal advantage was a strange turnaround in a game that Hibs had started brighter.

Garry O'Connor and Derek Riordan tested goalkeeper Craig Gordon but the visitors failed to impose themselves for any length of time in a midfield area that they usually dominate.

Hearts stifled their every move, forcing errors that allowed them to play further up the field with terrific pace and aggression, especially when teenage striker Calum Elliot began to make the ball stick in attack.

Elliot also proved his character to recover from a first-half sitter when he put the ball wide with only Brown to beat.

Five minutes into the second half, he scored his first derby goal, whipping a low Skacel cross past the keeper from close range.

The expected onslaught never materialised and it was O'Connor who scored the final goal of the game from 20 yards in 58 minutes but his brief celebration was in front of a stand in which chunks of maroon seats were becoming increasingly visible.

Mowbray said: "We started well and had the better of the first half hour but against the run of play they scored two very quick goals.

"I was pleased with them in the second half - they created enough chances but the scoreline is there for all to see."

Rix said: "It took us 15 minutes to settle into a slightly different formation and understand what we had to do but we worked hard at a great tempo and scored some good goals.

"They're a good side, Hibs, but at one stage I thought it would be five or six.

"I'm delighted for the players and am pleased we managed to send our fans home happy."

MAN OF THE MATCH Rudi Skacel (Hearts)

MATCH STATS

POSSESSION 56% 44%

SHOTS ON TARGET

6 5

SHOTS OFF TARGET

7 2

CORNERS 5 5

FOULS CONCEDED

13 16

OFFSIDES

1 4

HEARTS

MAN BY MAN

Craig Gordon: Three super early stops prevented Hibs taking grip of game. 7

Robbie Neilson: Accomplished performance from full-back. 7

Andy Webster: Rarely gave Hibs front line the sniff of a chance. 7

Christophe Berra: Biggest compliment you can pay is Steven Pressley's absence wasn't noticed. 7

Takis Fyssas: Kept Sproule quiet and always a danger linking with Skacel. 8

Julien Brellier: Wise old head on young shoulders quelled any Hibs threat from midfield. 8

Rudi Skacel: One goal, three assists - a dream derby performance. 9

Paul Hartley: Most energetic midfield performance of season. 8

Lee Johnston: Tidy home debut from midfielder who kept play moving. 7

Saulius Mikoliunas: Quiet first half before concussion ended involvement. 6

Calum Elliot: Held ball up well and showed character to recover from missing sitter and score fourth. 7

Subs: Deividas Cesnauskis - decent in flashes, 6. Jamie McAllister - kept midfield moving along, 4. Michal Pospisil - appeared in 70th minute for Elliot, 4.

HIBS

MAN BY MAN

Simon Brown: Tough task playing behind such a nervous defence. Blameless. 6

Steven Whittaker: Given torrid time by Skacel and Fyssas on left. 5

Gary Caldwell: An afternoon to forget as skipper rarely got off back foot against maroon tide. 5

Gary Smith: One of best pros around but did Hibs no favours by lashing out. 4

David Murphy: Came on to a game in second half but too little and too late. 5

Michael Stewart: Steamrollered along with the rest of his midfield. 5

Scott Brown: Done for by dubious tackle early on. Drive was badly missed. 4

Kevin Thomson: Physical and forceful but played almost on top of his back four. 5

Ivan Sproule: Improved after anonymous first half but can still give more. 5

Derek Riordan: Looked a threat early on but starved of service. Hooked at break. 5

Garry O'Connor: Worked hard but left foraging for scraps in attack. 6

Subs: Steven Fletcher - replaced Riordan at half-time but rarely on ball, 4. Oumar Konde - added some composure to the defence, 6. Chris Killen - late run-out long after game was lost, 3.

MOMENT THAT CHANGED THE GAME:

Rudi Skacel's first goal to make it 2-0 put Hearts in control of proceedings before the interval.

Taken from the Daily Record