Hibernian 1 - 1 Hearts

THE first Edinburgh derby of the season proved to be a rip-roaring affair. For the neutrals, there was a pleasing symmetry to the outcome of an entertaining match in which both teams contributed enormously.

This was an evenly contested encounter, though both had chances to win the game. As it was, a share of the spoils allowed the Easter Road side to maintain their one-point advantage over their rivals in the top half of the Clydesdale Bank Premier League.

Hibs, with characteristic boldness, played three up front - Derek Riordan, Colin Nish and Steven Fletcher - and were rewarded for their adventurous spirit with a goal after 78 seconds from Fletcher.
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Hearts lined up 4-5-1, but had more in mind than merely containing their opponents.

The return of Bruno Aguiar to their midfield gave them balance and guile. The Portuguese midfielder has been out injured for 18 months but still managed to turn in an impressive all-round performance, garnished by an expertly taken free-kick equaliser. "I could not have imagined after 18 months that I would come back in a derby match and be man of the match," said Aguiar. "My goal was a gift from God - after he gave me a bad time!"

There was, inevitably, a splash of controversy when Hibs were denied a free-kick at 1-0 up. Eggert Jonsson felled Riordan in the box, but Eddie Smith, the referee, was having none of it. "We should have had a penalty. Sometimes you get them and sometimes you don't," said a philosophical Mixu Paatelainen, the Hibs manager. "I didn't bother to ask the referee about it because I know he would just have said that he thought it wasn't a foul. I appreciate that they have a difficult job and are under the microscope."

Fletcher also claimed Smith got it wrong. "If it had been outside the box I think he'd have given a free-kick," he said.

Edinburgh derbies rarely disappoint in terms of atmosphere and Easter Road was crackling prior to the first meeting between the sides this season. The home side seemed to feed off the energy from the stands and started the match like a team possessed.

Riordan's artistry poked a hole in Hearts' defensive dam. The 25-year-old picked up possession on the left edge of the area and flicked a cute ball to the raiding Nish. He drove to the bye-line and slanted the ball across goal where Fletcher rammed home the opener.

Hearts responded to the early concession by fashioning a couple of decent opportunities. After six minutes, Laryea Kingston's cross was headed off the bar by Christophe Berra and the Ghanaian internationalist went close soon after. Kingston threaded a good pass through to Christian Nade, but the striker's first touch was heavy and Yves Ma-Kalambay rushed out to clear. The Hibs goalkeeper's clearance dropped straight to Kingston on the right side of the box, but he ballooned his effort well over the bar.

Aguiar made a hash of a decent opportunity after 38 minutes, but his moment would come soon after. Hearts drew level four minutes before the break and it owed much to Lee Wallace.

The left-back galloped forward and attempted to latch on to a through-ball, but was brought down by Nish on the edge of the box. Smith gave the free-kick, despite Nish's protests, and Aguiar stepped up to curl a delightful shot into the bottom corner to restore parity. "When I saw the goalkeeper in the middle I think he thought I was going to put it in the left side, so I hit it to the right side instead," added Aguiar.

Hibs had the final chance of the half when Fletcher laid the ball off to Dean Shiels inside the box, but he shanked it wide. Marian Kello caused an anxious moment when he allowed a pass back to slip under his foot but the danger was cleared. By then, Kello was feeling the effects of a head knock and was replaced by Janos Balogh at half-time.

Hearts seized the initiative after the interval and had the ball in the net in the 51st minute from Nade, but the striker was penalised for a foul on Ma-Kalambay. "I don't think Nade did anything," insisted Csaba Laszlo, the Hearts head coach.

Fletcher had a chance to steal the points five minutes from the end but his shot flashed inches wide. Marius Zaliukas almost sold the jerseys in the final minute when his back-pass fell short, but Balogh snatched the ball off the toes of Riordan.

As the game slipped into injury time, Nade was given a golden opportunity in front of goal but lifted his shot over the top. "I thought we dominated the game but we didn't score enough goals and we need to work on that," said Laszlo. "We could also have lost at the end when Zaliukas made that mistake."

Paatelainen added: I felt we created more chances and should have won the game after being 1-0 up so early. I was disappointed that we conceded the free-kick so late in the first half. The second half was more open and both teams had chances but neither could score the winning goal."

Taken from the Herald