Hibernian 1 - 0 Hearts

This was a marvellous performance by John Collins' Hibs, full of zest and passion which fairly put Hearts to the sword, and the green sides of Easter Road celebrated in loud choruses. If this is the Collins effect on Hibs, then they'll be wanting plenty more of it.

In a peculiar way, Hearts were pathetic, no doubt fatigued by various off-field events, but none the less still lacking in stomach for the fight. And fight Hibs made of this sometimes mean match: contesting every ball, applying every tackle, and letting Paul Hartley and co know that the grieving over Tony Mowbray's waygoing is well concluded.

Hibs will now join Kilmarnock, Falkirk and St Johnstone in the CIS Insurance Cup semi-finals draw today and Collins must surely sense that he could be getting his hands on silverware scarcely having stepped through the door. Given that Collins' record as a player in these Edinburgh derbies was three wins in 24 matches, this must have felt sweet as well as unusual.

Hearts are in more turmoil. It was confirmed last night that the poor benighted – and stressed – Valdas Ivanauskas will not be returning to the club in the forseeable future.

The Lithuanian, who endured months and blizzards of Vladimir Romanov faxes telling him which players to select, appears to have had enough, if Tynecastle sources are to be believed. What next in this Hearts fiasco?

Here was the usual guddle on the Hearts bench: Eduard Malofeev and Eugenijus Riabovas allegedly orchestrating the team, with the long-suffering John McGlynn – a backroom coach who miraculously survives every Romanov convulsion – wondering what they were wittering about. Alex Kozlovski, Malofeev's translator, could also be seen weighing in.

Hibs had such control of this game that, in a comical moment just before half-time, Malofeev turned away from the pitch and cupped his hand to his forehead in disgust, much in the way that a Victorian actress would at the first hint of labour pains.

Hearts were unable to attack coherently and deservedly went behind after 31 minutes, thereafter proving themselves incapable of clawing an equaliser.

It would not be Hearts without yet another disruptive palaver breaking out and, even before kick-off, Julien Brellier was seen to stomp out of Easter Road in a huff and leap into a cab. We understood why when the teams emerged: yet again this hard, gifted Frenchman was omitted from a Hearts squad of 16, utterly unfathomably.

Well, perhaps not. This Hearts persecution of one of their own players is one of the many lunacies invading Tynecastle, and there is now a pattern to it. Brellier is unquestionably one of Hearts' best players.

Perversely, this was just the sort of match that the midfielder would have revelled in. There was a physical edge to much of the football, a menacing streak throughout the match of which Hibs had the better.

On the field, Hibs took this match by the scruff of the neck, to the point where the Hearts bench, bawling in whichever language, could do little to avert the flow of green attacks.

On both flanks and through the middle Hibs surged at their rivals and deservedly claimed the lead.

Craig Gordon had already punched away a Chris Killen shot and was required to be on his toes before Merouane Zemmama's corner failed to be met by competent Hearts defending.

The ball dropped to Rob Jones and the big defender whacked the ball into the roof of the next from six yards.

Hearts in the first half were a pitiful lot, at least in terms of trying to attack, and eight minutes before half-time Gordon had to rescue his side again, saving from Scott Brown following a clever wall pass from Zemmama on the edge of the box. By the time David Murphy was curling a free-kick just wide of Gordon's left post, Hibs were in utter control.

Hibs had lost Michael Stewart to injury after a mere 13 minutes but it did not upset their rhythm. On the contrary, with Guillaume Beuzelin taking his place, the tide of the match continued in the direction of the Hearts goal. Hearts attempted a revival after the break which petered out after precisely five minutes, by which time Jones was flashing another header just wide of Gordon's goal.

There was a physical combat about this match which made the eyes water. Both sets of midfielders got stuck in in the traditional sense, with other players such as Hearts' Saulius Mikoliunas and Hibs' Zemmama not enjoying it for a single moment. By the time Mikoliunas was hooked by Hearts after 65 minutes he had spent as much time rolling on the turf as he had on his feet.

Hibernian (4-5-1): Malkowski; Whittaker, Martis, Jones, Murphy; Sproule (Fletcher 73), Thomson, Brown, Stewart (Beuzelin 13), Zemmama; Killen

Hearts (4-1-4-1): Gordon; Tall, Pressley, Berra, Goncalves; Zaluikas; Neilson (Barasa 54), Aguiar, Hartley, Mikoliunas (Mole 65); Velicka

Referee Calum Murray

Taken from the Herald