Hibs report and ratings from Tynecastle as star performer gets 8/10 on night of VAR controversy

Hibs were denied a first victory at Tynecastle since Boxing Day of 2019 by yet another contentious decision involving Scotland’s shambolic Video Referee System, as Nick Montgomery’s men were forced to settle for a 1-1 draw in Gorgie.

An Emiliano Marcondes goal after 27 minutes was cancelled out – after a four-minute VAR check – by a Lawrence Shankland penalty in first-half stoppage time, referee Kevin Clancy standing by his original decision to award the spot kick DESPITE replays showing that Will Fish made no contact with Kenneth Vargas, who then kicked the defender’s trailing leg before going down.

In a game that had seen the visitors dominate for long spells and create the better chances, a single point hardly spells disaster for their longer-term ambitions. But it could have been so much better, had the officials not contrived to make such a hash of a fairly simple decision.

Naming an unchanged starting XI from the weekend win over Dundee, Montgomery was clearly hoping that his key men in Saturday’s victory - Vente, Boyle, Maolida and perhaps especially Marcondes – could make their influence felt here.

From the off, it looked as if the plan would work perfectly, as Hibs dominated the opening exchanges. Boyle might have opened the scoring with 25 minutes on the clock, the winger looking frustrated with himself after failing to properly control a headed clearance by Rocky Bushiri that bounced over the Hearts back line to set the Socceroos star free.

He still had half the pitch to cover but, with a better first touch on a bouncing ball, he would have left the defenders trailing. The wide man was involved in the opener just two minutes later, taking advantage of a miscommunication in the Hearts defence to close in on goal and sell Zander Clark a dummy before dinking an effort over the goalie.

Although his effort was cleared off the line, Marcondes took a sure first touch on the rebound – and buried it into the net from around 12 yards. Hearts rallied in the closing stages of the first half and, when Vargas went down under the challenge of Will Fish, referee Kevin Clancy pointed to the spot. Then got called over to the monitor for a check before confirming his original decision, yet another baffling call in the litany of VAR howlers being piled up in Scottish football this season.

After Shankland converted the penalty, Marcondes might have put Hibs ahead again just before the break, forcing Clark into a superb stop – and Vente saw an effort cleared off the line as he latched onto a Bushiri header from a corner. The visitors didn’t look like being swept away as the heavens opened and the rain poured down.

Indeed, the men in green absolutely flew at their hosts from the start of the second half, Vente again coming close with a clever flick on a Boyle cross. Maolida was also getting more involved from his starting position on the left wing, before being moved to centre forward when Vente was replaced. But he probably should have scored with a back-post header from substitute Elie Youan’s cross inside the closing 20 minutes.

Legs wearied and substitutes entered the fray as the game wound down, with the effort taking its toll on both sides. At least, on this occasion, there was to be no late heartbreak for the men in green. One up on their last derby experience, then. Even if it could have been so much better.