Hearts 3 Hibs 2

In recent years, the amount of simulation ('cheating' to those who speak English) in the game has increased tenfold, to the point where some people now see 'contact' being enough justification for an infringement to be awarded. We've had to put up with watching fantastic tackles being punished by red cards, while those who deliberately try to get opponents sent off have been the ones who've generally been the winners. In other words, football has been becoming a different game to the one many of us fell in love with several years ago.

Today's Edinburgh Derby at Tynecastle may still have contained a few dives and exaggerated reactions, but it was a tremendous blood and thunder, 100 miles-per-hour thriller that had everyone in the ground on the edge of their seats throughout.

What we had out there was two teams who were absolutely desperate to beat each other at pretty much any cost. The football was rarely pretty, but the consolation was that it served up everything that used to be good about Scottish football.....and let's face it, ability has never really been top of our list of qualities!

Before going into the game in detail, let me just congratulate John Collins for instilling a bit of much-needed nastiness into the Hibs side, something that was definitely missing when Tony Mowbray was in charge. Hibs knocked the ball around quite well at times today, but that was probably the most physical performance I've seen from an away side at Tynecastle in years....and it really helped to make the game a niggly affair, which ultimately helped Hearts to get the result. So thanks for that John!

Hearts went into the game with no fewer than SEVEN changes to the side that won 1-0 at Tannadice at the weekend. Ludicrous I know, but we've frankly discussed team selection enough this year, so let's just accept it and get on with it.

The match started at an astonishingly high tempo that was rarely to drop all afternoon.

Hibs came flying out of the traps and should have been ahead with a minute. As the ball bounced around on the edge of the home penalty box, the home defenders bunched like scared schoolboys and allowed it to break kindly for Abdessalam Benjelloun, who had a clear sight of goal only eight yards out. Sadly for Hibs though, the Moroccan snatched at his effort and blasted it wide of Gordon's right hand post.

To fully exemplify just how much football can change on a single moment, Hearts bombed straight up the park and roared into the lead. Jankauskas flicked a long clearance on for Bednar to get in behind the Hibs defence and his fine cutback was met by the onrushing Paul Hartley, who buried it behind Malkowski from close range. Cue bedlam among the home support and even more reason for Hartley to swagger around Tynecastle like he owned the place!

Hibs, the apparent 'media darlings', were really putting themselves about and made their almost perennial description of being a 'footballing' side quite laughable with some of their tackling. One very lucky man was right-back Steven Whittaker, who was eventually booked for a shocking two-footed lunge at Jankauskas. However this was barely minutes after he'd committed a professional foul on Neil McCann, dragging back the winger when he'd shown him a clean pair of heels. The lenient Mike McCurry, who was to his credit letting the game flow as much as he could, somehow saw fit not to book him, which would have eventually resulted in a red with the challenge on Jankauskas.

McCurry then upset most of Tynecastle when he carded fans' favourite Julien Brellier. It seemed an innocuous enough looking foul, but I was informed at half-time by those who know the refereeing side of things better than me, that the card was for 'preventing a promising move'. This is apparently a new rule that is in a way a variation of the professional foul idea in that, if a player is deemed to have deliberately prevented a break forward that could have resulted in danger for the perpetrator's side, it's an automatic booking. You learn something new every day!

Hibs blew another gilt-edged chance after 25 minutes. Michael Stewarts chipped a pass through for Chris Killen to run one-on-one with Craig Gordon after springing the offside trap. With only Gordon to beat though, the Hibs forward made what I can only describe as a complete erse of his finish, with the ball being tamely sclaffed wide.

Half time 1-0.

The pace and meaty challenges continued in the second half and the home side soon had a free-kick in Paul Hartley territory.

Hibs goalkeeper Malkowski had been mercilessly taunted by the home support in the first half for past blunders in Edinburgh derby matches and he was to give them further cause to do so here. Hartley's free-kick was on target but tame. Malkowski got down to gather, but the ball was allowed to squirm from his grasp and Edgaras Jankauskas gleefully accepted this belated Christmas present to put Hearts into a commanding two goal lead.

For the next ten minutes or so Malkowski was getting a roasting, but just after the hour mark it was the travelling fans who were singing the loudest after Chris Killen brought them back into the game. A corner from the Hibs right found the head of Killen, who managed to get up above a huge posse of players to plant the ball into the corner of the net. I would like to know what happened to the player who was meant to be on the post though, as it would have been a simple clearance had he still been there.

Five minutes later the match then erupted with a series of flashpoints in the space of a matter of seconds. Firstly, after a tussle between Brellier and Brown on the half-way line, Brown attempted to elbow the Frenchman in the face. It was right under the nose of McCurry and in full view of the linesman, but somehow no action was taken.

Instead, play raged on and a crossfield pass aimed at Shiels, ended with the Hibs player falling over under a semi-challenge from Barasa and McCurry pointing to the spot. I'd have to see the incident again to be clear, but there did not appear to be any contact and Shiels appeared to dive on the referee's blind side as Barasa jumped for the ball. However when I see it again I could be proved wrong - I certainly couldn't blame the ref was awarding it as it probably looked a foul from where he was....it just didn't from where I was!

Shiels made an expert job of the kick to make it 2-2, but instead of this being the moment that propelled Hibs onto a famous victory, it ended up being the moment they let Hearts off the hook. Why? Well in his attempts to get the ball asap, Shiels ran towards the net where Gordon was standing. Instead of trying to run around Gordon to retrieve the ball, he tried to go THROUGH him and effectively assaulted the Hearts goalkeeper in the process!

Predictably at such an emotional moment in the game, all hell broke loose among the players and it took a considerable amount of time for everyone to be calmed down. Eventually though, Shiels was shown the red card, which was surely McCurry's only option here. John Collins clearly appeared to be raging with the player on the touchline and rightly so - he blew Hibs' chances of winning the game with this moment of madness.

Hearts then rubbed salt into Collins' wounds when McCann and Velicka forayed down the left, with the latter's sclaffed cross somehow managing to find its way all the way across to Mikoliunas on the edge of the area. Instead of his normal pitiful goal attempt, Miko lashed a tremendous left foot shot into the top corner to send Tynecastle into raptures. 3-2.

Even in the last ten minutes the pace refused to drop, as ten-man Hibs battled valiantly to the end. With only minutes remaining, Whittaker burst into the box and blasted a shot that smashed off both posts and out to safety. Talk about riding your luck!

Eventually Mike McCurry's whistle sounded to bring an epic encounter to an end. It was a memorable match that, if we're honest, both sides probably deserved something from. Hearts always looked the more likely side to score, mainly due to Hibs' very fragile defence, but Hibs had retained possession better and with ten men had been marginally the better side in the closing stages.

Still, we'll take it - it makes up for the unjust home defeat by Aberdeen and all of a sudden it would appear that we have something to play for again, particularly if Inverness can take something off Rangers tomorrow.
Star Player
Yes he was still lazy at times today, but I thought that Edgaras Jankauskas' forward play was at times absolute class. He had far too much of a football brain for the Hibs defence to cope with.
Player Ratings
Gordon 5
Not particularly commanding today and perhaps a bit slow to react for the Killen goal.
Barasa 6
Had a solid enough game and didn't do too much wrong, but was probably caught napping a little at the penalty incident, even if it did look a little harsh.
Goncalves 2
Taken off early with an injury. Shame, as he'd looked good.
Berra 7
Put in a physical display that his mentor Pressley would have been proud of.
Zaliukas 7
Did well alongside Berra.
Brellier 7
Really got stuck in and relished the physical midfield battle.
Hartley 6
Typical burst from midfield gave him his first goal from open play this season. Bundle of energy throughout, but I felt the Hibs midfield had the measure of him in the second half.
Mikoliunas 5
Scored a fantastic goal, but too often didn't appear to try hard enough for the team.
McCann 5
Gave it everything he had, but his touch let him down too often today.
Jankauskas 8
Led the line very well and gave the Hibs central defence as difficult a game as they'll have had in a long time. Good to see him scoring.
Bednar 7
Good to see him back alongside Jankauskas and together they showed why they are Hearts' best front two when fully fit. Did well for the opening goal.
Wallace 7
Made some great tackles and put in a good shift down the left.
Velicka 4
Late-ish sub, but put himself about.
Pospisil 3
Late sub and should have helped to seal the points in the last minute.