Derby reverts to a lesser type

DAVID HARDIE
FOR years, Edinburgh derbies suffered from a tarnished image, exciting in themselves as an occasion but usually 90 minutes of turgid, uninspiring stuff rather than a match full of thrilling football.
In recent seasons, though, clashes between Edinburgh's big two have gained a reputation as being classics of their kind, packed full of incident, overflowing as always with passion and commitment but allied to no small measure of skill, flair and entertainment from both sides.

This one, however, reverted to type. It was, you might say, exactly what it said on the tin, a game between two clubs trapped in the bottom six of the SPL with hardly a win between them in months.

Today that will matter little to Hearts supporters, the three points gained and their first victory in 11 attempts will allow them to view events through maroon tinted spectacles and declare it a match to remember.

It certainly wasn't but it was a win which the Tynecastle side probably just merited, Stephen Frail's players taking full advantage of a whirlwind start which had Hibs gasping for breath as Andrius Velicka stooped to direct Christope Berra's knockdown from Andy Driver's corner towards Yves Ma-Kalambay in the visitors' goal.

The Hearts striker's header may have been from close range but it didn't appear to carry too much in the way of power but somehow Ma-Kalambay managed to fumble the ball over the line for what proved to be the defining moment in the game, with the Belgian Under-21 star and his opposite number Steven Banks relatively untroubled otherwise such was the paucity of goalmouth incidents. Both Ma-Kalambay and his manager Mixu Paatelainen tried to exonerate the goalkeeper to some extent for his howler but regardless of their pleadings the incident will go down alongside those horror moments which afflicted his predecessors Zibi Malkowski, Andy McNeil and Simon Brown in Gorgie. Ma-Kalambay claimed to have had his jersey pulled by Velicka as Driver's cross soared to the back post as some sort of alibi while Paatelainen added: "We lost a vital header, we were not sharp enough to the knockdown so it is unfair big Yves should be blamed, there were plenty of others at fault."

Even so, such was the tameness of Velicka's effort Ma-Kalambay should have done much better, his blunder giving the home fans plenty of reason to taunt him rather than reflect on the superb reflex save he had brought off in somehow getting a hand to a shot from Ruben Palazuelos which had left him wrong-footed as it deflected off the returning Ian Murray.

The biggest disappointment, though, for Paatelainen would be that throughout the match his side didn't manage to force Banks into one meaningful save, the lack of a cutting edge which has blighted Hibs over recent weeks all to evident, the Easter Road outfit having mustered but nine goals in 12 away games.

Hibs, of course, had gone into this match buoyed by their 3-0 Scottish Cup win over Inverness Caledonian Thistle, Dean Shiels' hat-trick having ended their own miserable run of eight games without a win, but this defeat leaves Paatelainen's players with just one SPL triumph to their name – and that over basement outfit Gretna – since topping the table on October 6.

Instead, Hibs, like their Capital rivals, face a battle before the split, now looming ominously on the horizon, of attempting to lift themselves into the upper half of the table, a task the Easter Road side can ease somewhat by winning the game they have in hand although, given current form, few would back them do so.

Paatelainen, of course, has already moved to strengthen his squad during the transfer window, bringing former skipper Murray back to Edinburgh while investing £110,000 in the purchase of John Rankin from Inverness Caley. And he admitted after this impotent offering that further new faces could be winging their way to the east end of the Capital.

The big Finn has resolutely refused to indulge in speculation as to who they might be but given a strikeforce which can't find the net it wouldn't seem unreasonable to suggest Hibs will up their bid to land Kilmarnock striker Colin Nish before the month is out.

Paatelainen said: "I feel we need to strengthen some areas in the team and we are working on it. There are two weeks to go and time will tell if we are successful."

And Murray was left in no doubt that he and Rankin won't be the only additions to Paatelainen's squad. The 26-year-old said: "There's no doubt he will bring players in so it is up to the players here to keep them out.

"This was probably as poor a derby as you will see all season. Hearts got the win and they'll think it was a great game because of that but I felt we were the better team on the day."

If there was one positive Paatelainen could possibly take from this performance it was that he has seen the Jekyll and Hyde nature of his side within his first ten days in charge, the exhilarating, incisive football which tore Caley apart replaced by a stuttering, nervy and toothless display. The Hibs boss said: "We did not play well. In the first half there was not enough movement up front, we lost the ball too easily, our passing was not good enough. Hence 1-0 down at half-time.

"You cannot rely on past performances, you have to produce it every time. Last week was totally different, we tried to repeat it but unfortunately, for one reason or another, we could not make it happen.

"In the second half we were much better. I thought we dominated, Hearts sat back and tried to defend what they had."

Despite enjoying greater possession Hibs rarely threatened although they felt they should have had a penalty when Hearts defender Christos Karapidis wrapped his arms around Chris Hogg as the Hibs defender tried to get on the end of a superb free-kick from substitute Rankin.

Had refere
e Kenny Clark pointed to the spot Tynecastle would have erupted in fury, the whistler having waved away loud claims for a similar award as Velicka tangled with Hogg only two minutes after scoring. It looked a clear-cut foul but, to add insult to injury, Clark booked the Hearts striker for diving.

Of Hogg's claim Paatelainen said: "The boys are saying definitely (to a penalty] but it was difficult from where I was standing to see clearly. I am sure the referee would have a good view of it and if it was a penalty he would have given it."

How Hearts might have reacted had Hibs equalised – with a penalty probably the only means by which they would have done so – is now, of course, only a matter for conjecture with Frail admitting his players had understandably become nervous as the final whistle neared, based on previous recent experiences in which they have surrendered the advantage.

Taken from the Scotsman