Hearts' Steven Naismith fears Hibs 'idiots' throwing objects will see away fans cut and ruin Edinburgh derby

The Tynecastle manager said the behaviour of travelling fans was not acceptable

Hearts coach Steven Naismith is concerned that Hibs fans throwing objects are in danger of ruining the Edinburgh derby atmosphere. He fears that away tickets will be reduced if such antics continue, potentially ruining the ambience at one of Scotland's most fervid footballing occasions.

Some Easter Road supporters repeatedly launched objects onto the pitch in the direction of Hearts captain Lawrence Shankland during Wednesday night's 1-1 draw at Tynecastle. There were also reports of objects being thrown from home sections towards Hibs players on at least one occasion, with police and stewards having to intervene on both sides.

Shankland's penalty equalised Emiliano Marcondes' opening goal for Hibs, but before and after taking the kick Shankland saw a number of things raining down on him - including a pie which he jokingly took a bite from.

"The calmness I spoke about, that's exactly it. The way he acts for the penalty and is calmness to find the net, these are the defining moments in games," said Naismith. "But all the stuff getting launched on, it's just not acceptable. If that then gets looked at, what’s going to happen is they are just going to reduce the amount of fans that can go into that stand and that’s going to impact what I think is a good atmosphere - a good derby which has a fierce rivalry.

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"It’s just idiots that are going to spoil the party for everybody. I think it was everything that was is everybody's pockets whether it be coins, vapes or whatever. It’s just not good enough - end of. 

Shankland's penalty cancelled out Marcondes' opener in a game full of tension and laced with controversy. The penalty was disputed by Hibs after referee Kevin Clancy judged that the visiting defender Will Fish had fouled Kenneth Vargas. Clancy reviewed the incident on a touchline monitor before confirming his decision despite protests from the away side.

"I was quite confident when he went to the screen that we'd still get given the penalty, if I’m honest," said Naismith. "It was one of those moments in the game where it was a split second – who gets there first and inevitably it’s going to be a foul. I felt Kenneth did enough to get enough of the ball for it to be a foul, but if it wasn’t given I didn’t think you’d have an argument either."

Hearts defender Frankie Kent played on despite a knee knock late on. "He took a bang on the knee which eased up a bit, but that shows his character," said Naismith. "He’s a leader, a someone who again tonight showed his organisation and his enjoyment of defending. He was brilliant."