Dean's madness kills off Hibs' hopes

HIBS midfielder Michael Stewart accused his club of resembling a circus ... but he could never have imagined they would send in the clowns.

Stewart's pre-match comments were aimed at the ongoing contracts rumpus involving skipper Kevin Thomson and midfielder Scott Brown.

However, the deterioration in their relationship with the club became but a Boxing Day sideshow as Edinburgh, a city that knows a thing or two about high octane derby clashes, played host to one of the most absorbing games ever held between its favourite teams.

Hearts won their first capital clash of the season but the 3-2 scoreline tells only a fraction of the story of an amazing day at Tynecastle that saw six men booked and another dismissed.

Hibs striker Dean Shiels saw red just two seconds after hauling his side level at 2-2 from the penalty spot after an hour with a goal-line collision, judged to be an assault, that left Craig Gordon poleaxed and players warring with each other in the back of his net.

Five minutes earlier, Chris Killen had nodded his side a lifeline with his 11th SPL goal of the season after cock-up keeper Zibi Malkowski had once again attracted the headlines in this fixture for the wrong reasons.

The Polish shot-stopper, at fault for both goals in the 2-2 draw at Easter Road earlier this season, made yet another unforgivable howler as he spilled a tame free-kick by Paul Hartley at the feet of Edgaras Jankauskas three minutes into the second half.

The Lithuanian striker knocked home his first goal of the season to put his side 2-0 up as Hearts fans gleefully chanted "Zibi is a Jambo".

Malkowski, who cost his team the Scottish Cup semi-final earlier this year, is now damaged goods and must surely be replaced in the January sales because team-mates and fans can no longer have confidence in him.

Northern Ireland star Shiels was near to tears as he was dismissed by Mike McCurry following a chat with linesman Willie Dishington.

Shiels is far from an aggressor on the pitch and looked genuinely remorseful over an incident that owed as much to emotional over-exuberance at netting in front of his own support and chasing the ball for a quick re-start as it did to any pre-meditated malice.

Nevertheless, McCurry was correct to flash a red card as Shiels' arms were raised, contact was made with Gordon and the folly of the former Arsenal kid cost his side the chance of what would have been a stunning comeback win in a game that had looked beyond them.

In the end, Saulius Mikoliunas, so often the boo boys' target, captured the match for Hearts in the 70th minute with a stunning left-foot drive high into the corner of the net and moved his side four points ahead of their arch rivals in the SPL.

If Hibs were looking for any further grievance to nurse, it came from the opener after only three minutes when Dishington, reported by some Hearts fans earlier this season for allegedly challenging punters in the Wheatfield Stand to a square-go during a match, made a howler on the Main Stand side.

He failed to flag Roman Bednar when he was at least half a yard offside and his low cross was met by Paul Hartley, who poked home his 10th goal against his former club.

Even with 10 men, Hibs laid siege to Gordon's goal late on and almost snatched an equaliser their play would have deserved when Steven Whittaker fired in a right-foot effort that hit both posts before being booted clear.

The terrific on-field action gave both sets of fans discussion points for weeks to come but before a ball was kicked there were so many sideshows the game could have been marketed by Phileas T Barnum.

We had been led to believe that keeper Gordon had a redder nose than Rudolf on Saturday as a cold allegedly kept him out of the Dundee United game.

Jambos boss Valdas Ivanauskas, in danger of earning a reputation as the Lord Haw Haw of Tynecastle, insisted the keeper was unfit to play.

But Scotland pal Robbie Neilson claimed Gordon had been in rude health and the full-back found himself mysteriously axed for the derby while the keeper returned to the fray as one of seven changes to Hearts' line-up.

Hibs made two. Scott Brown took over in midfield from injured Merouane Zemmama and Abdessalam Benjelloun replaced crocked Steven Fletcher.

Boss John Collins had allegedly told Brown and Thomson they would be axed for the game as their row with the club over their futures intensifies. In the end, Brown played but Thomson, injured last week, was not in the squad.

Hartley gave his men that controversial early lead after Benjelloun had missed a chance within 90 seconds, firing a volley wide after good work from Hibs down the right of a midfield more congested than Princes Street during the sales.

Hibs almost equalised in 15 minutes when a Stewart free-kick picked out Killen but he could only prod a volley into Gordon's grateful arms.

A minute later, Bednar raced on to a through ball from Mikoliunas but Malkowski had read the danger and blocked his effort with his legs.

The first half was entertaining but couldn't hold a Christmas candle to the second as Hearts doubled their lead and challenged Hibs to pull off a similar comeback to the one that had netted the Scottish Cup holders a point at Easter Road two-and-a-half months earlier.

They duly obliged as Killen towered above everyone to nod home a goal from a Shiels corner. Then Shiels won the penalty that caused so much aggro with a lovely piece of chest control that forced Nerijus Barasa into a clumsy lunge.

Shiels protested his innocence as the red was shown and had to be dragged away from McCurry by team-mate Rob Jones. Shiels repeated his pleas to Collins on the touchline as the manager demanded to hear his version of events.

Amid all this, McCurry went over to the sidelines and handed a coin to the senior police commander. It appeared to have been thrown from the Hibs fans during the melee in the net.

The Hibees could also be in trouble over the fact that Hartley appeared to be hit by a coin during the first half as he prepared to take a corner.

On the field, Hearts made their extra man advantage count as sub Andrius Velicka pulled a low cross along the box and Mikoliunas almost took the net out of its rigging with the winner 20 minutes from time.

Hibs poured forward in the closing stages and Whittaker came closest to equalising but their luck was out and Hearts walked off wishing this carnival would come to town every day of the year.

MAN OF THE MATCH Paul Hartley (Hearts)

MOMENT THAT CHANGED THE MATCH: The decision to send off Shiels ended Hibs' chances.

Hearts - Gordon 6, Berra 7, Goncalves 2 (Wallace 9, 7), Zaliukas 6, Brellier 6, Mikoliunas 6, Hartley 8, Barasa 6, McCann 6, Bednar 6 (Pospisil 76, 2), Jankauskas 6 (Velicka 64, 5). Subs not used: Banks, Aguiar, Karipidis, Driver.

Hibs - Malkowski 4, Whittaker 7, Martis 5, Jones 6, Murphy 6, Shiels 5, Beuzelin 6, Brown 7, Stewart 7, Benjelloun 6, Killen 6. Subs not used: McNeil, Hogg, Stevenson, Glass, McCann, McCluskey, Campbell.

Referee: M. McCurry,

Taken from the Daily Record