Hearts playing “without pressure” in Edinburgh Derby

After securing fourth place on Sunday, Hearts boss Eva Olid insists that her team can play “without pressure” in Wednesday night’s derby.

Hibs 1-0 loss to Rangers last weekend ensured that the Jam Tarts will end their campaign in fourth place, their best-ever finish in the SWPL. With only three games of the season remaining, Hearts are 10 points clear of fifth-placed Hibs as they go into the last Edinburgh Derby of the season. Olid believes that now their final position is confirmed, her team no longer have to worry about the implications of losing the fixture.

“We feel well,” she told the Edinburgh Evening News. “We have had one day of preparation but the last time was good when we only had one day because we played really well at Easter Road. It is a different game because we can go in without pressure. Fourth place is done, so we can focus on the game and we will play better without pressure.”

Hearts have been revolutionary this season. Olid originally tasked her team to finish in the top six at the start of the campaign but quickly found themselves surpassing this expectation. Performances from players like Emma Brownlie and Ciara Grant, who both recently got selected in the SWPL1 PFA Team of the Season, ensured that Hearts were competing at the top of the table throughout the season. With the top three being so far ahead of the rest of the pack in the SWPL, Olid insists that Hearts final position is like ‘winning the league’.

Eva Olid's team have got late equalisers in the last two derbies. Credit: Malcolm Mackenzie

“Everything has gone much better than we expected,” she explained “Last season was so hard, we were eighth in the table and you don’t expect this big step up so suddenly but it happened and we had to take it.

“[Fourth place] is the maximum objective you can get. We know that the resources that the top three we cannot have. For us [fourth place] is like winning the league of course, you are not winning anything but it is like we have won our league.”

With Hearts set to take on Hibs for a final time this season, a win against their rivals could be the cherry on the cake to round off a wonderful campaign for the Midlothian side. Each of the past three fixtures have ended 1-1 with each one being played at the men’s stadium. However, despite Olid’s desire to play more women’s fixtures at Tynecastle, Wednesday’s derby will be taking place at the Oriam.

“Everything was so quick and it was not possible to play there,” Olid added. “We didn’t insist too much if I am honest. By next season, we want to be playing there more times but with the schedule making us play every Sunday, and Tuesday at the moment, we didn’t have too much time to think about these things.

“I don’t like that because we have to get used to playing in the men’s stadiums because we want that. It’s true that our home is the Oriam because we play here every week and we feel more comfortable here.”