Scorers: HEARTS: Velicka

YVES MA-KALAMBAY joined the growing list of Hibs keepers to have howlers at Tynecastle as Hearts recorded their first win in 11 games.
The Belgian keeper flapped at Andrius Velicka, above, powered in a first-half header and watched on in agony as the ball squirmed across his line to give the Jambos the capital bragging rights.
It was a re-run of a grim old movie for the green and white punters behind the keeper’s goal who’ve witnessed Simon Brown, Zibi Malkowski and Andy McNeil suffer a similar fate at the same venue in recent seasons.

And after the fire sale that’s seen £10million land in the Easter Road coffers from the sale of four top players in a year the goalkeeping situation, or rather the lack of a reliable one, is something that simply can’t be ignored for much longer if the club are to progress under Mixu Paatelainen.
In fairness the keeper did pull off an outstanding save from Ruben Palazuelos shortly before conceding and it would be wrong to lump all the blame for this defeat at his door.
Hibs’ policy of selling everything but the family silver may be winning them favour with their bankers but the net result is that what remains is a long way from being good enough.
They were second best to Hearts in all departments all afternoon.
Paatelainen knows what he witnessed was well below acceptable and expects several new arrivals between now and January 31.
He said: “We didn’t play nearly well enough in the first half. We lost the ball too easily and our passing wasn’t good enough.
“We’re working on bringing in new players and there are a couple of weeks still to go.
“We need to strengthen the team. There are a few areas that just aren’t strong enough.”
This was the day that Hearts caretaker boss Stevie Frail has dreamed of for months. A first clean sheet in the league since September 3 and a performance that should send bolts of confidence surging through Tynecastle again. It might not get him the job on a permanent basis but it’s certainly a major plus point on his CV.
He smiled: “I’m not going to say that means we’ve turned the corner and we’re going to finish third now but it’s a wee step in the right direction.
“We needed a reaction and although the second half wasn’t pretty we were all in it for each other.
“They’re delighted in the dressing room. It’s good to see them all smiling again.”
Paatelainen eased into the job with a comprehensive win over Inverness last week but derbies are never the time to go gung-ho and he resisted the temptation to throw in both of his new signings.
Former skipper Ian Murray was given his first taste of first-team football since November but John Rankin, signed from Caley Thistle, had to make do with a seat on the bench.
Both sides shaped 4-5-1 with Abdessalam Benjelloun up top on his own for the visitors but the Morrocan failed to make the most of a potentially dangerous early free-kick by wastefully chipping into Stevie Banks’ grasp.
Without a win in any of their last 10 matches, Hearts desperately needed a change in fortunes and they made most of the early running.
Michael Stewart’s drive from the edge of the area was deflected wide by Chris Hogg then Ma-Kalambay fisted Deividas Cesnauskis’ fierce drive to safety.
The Hibernian keeper then produced an outstanding reflex stop to deny Palazuelos after his effort took a cruel deflection off Hogg before Rob Jones’ block prevented Eggert Jonsson hitting the target.
Hibs offered only token resistance in the opening half hour with Benjelloun’s fresh air swipe at Filipe Morais’ cross their only meaningful effort.
Hearts swept ahead in the 20th minute thanks to Velicka’s predatory instincts, Ma-Kalambay’s ineptness and the sharp eye of linesman John Gilmour.
The striker was first to react when Christophe Berra headed Andrew Driver’s corner back towards goal and the muted reaction of the Hibs players suggested the official had correctly judged that the ball had narrowly crossed the line after escaping the keeper’s grasp.
Velicka’s mood was slightly dampened by a yellow card for making the most of Murray’s attentions a minute later though referee Kenny Clark might well have pointed to the spot.
Hearts were in the ascendancy as the interval approached though and Ma-Kalambay had to react well to prevent Driver doubling their advantage with a low left-foot drive.
Steven Fletcher was introduced for the anonymous Benjelloun at the break but the expected onslaught from the visitors simply didn’t materialise.
It might have been a different story had the substitute been a shade quicker on to Dean Shiels’ inviting cross five minutes after the re-start but Banks’ goal remained intact.
Without really looking like adding to their lead, Hearts were in command and the main concern for the supporters was why they weren’t witnessing such displays more often.
Driver lashed a left-foot shot narrowly over from close range as the home fans sensed blood but slowly Hearts began to sit deeper, content seemingly to hold what they had.
Shiels drove directly at Hearts’ defence on a one-man mission to restore parity but a perfectly-timed tackle by skipper Berra stopped him in his tracks.
Paatelainen withdrew Merouane Zemmama to give Rankin his debut and the former Inverness man immediately looked a decent addition.
Fletcher looked odds-on to square the game with a stinging drive which Jonsson blocked with his frame.
With nine minutes left Rankin’s inswinging free-kick picked out Hogg only for the defender to apply the most minimal contact and allow Banks to smother.
Hibs looked and played like a side that has been systematically dismantled over recent months and the grim reality for their supporters as they trundled out was that they got exactly what they deserved from the game.
Jambos substitute Saulius Mikoliunas would have spared them the agony of watching the dying embers of the game had he buried Driver’s cross with two minutes left but this time Ma-Kalambay gathered.

HEARTS: Banks, Berra, Palazuelos (Nade 80) Velicka, Neilson, Karapidis, Jonsson, Stewart (Wallace 64), Goncalves, Cesnauskis, (Mikoliunas 69), Driver. Subs not used: Bjornsson, Thomson, Beniusis, Ksanavicius.
HIBS: Ma-Kalamby, McCann, Jones, Hogg, Murray, Beuzelin, Shiels, Kerr, Zemmama, (Rankin 67), Benjelloun (Fletcher 45), Morais (Gray 80). Subs not used: McNeil, Chisholm, McCormack, Hanlon.