Hibs dismantled Scottish Premiership title contenders Hearts - so what are limits on Easter Road ambitions?
Talking points as Gray’s men hit six-game series with potential to change everything
At a time of year when gluttony seems to be actively encouraged, it’s only understandable that Hibs fans should have been feeling downright greedy during yesterday’s derby feast at Easter Road. As they watched their team fly into a three-goal lead, seemingly soaring towards – at least – their biggest win over Hearts in a quarter of a century, it was natural to crave more, more, more.
But there’s plenty to be said for winning the tight ones. Especially in a season when David Gray’s men have found themselves on the wrong end of fine margins with such infuriating frequency.
Instead of worrying about what might have been, then, let’s focus on the absolute truths laid bare over nearly 100 minutes of quite remarkable football as Hibs and Hearts marked – near enough to the day – the 150th anniversary of this fixture in fitting style. And start by understanding the wider impact of a result with far-reaching implications.
Challengers taken down
Gray and his men have just dominated - for a good 75 minutes at least – and ultimately defeated a Hearts team generally held, with only a few curmudgeonly exceptions, to be the best/joint best in Scotland. Genuine title contenders, by any fair measure.
Now, this isn’t boxing, where beating the challenger earns you a crack at the big belt. But taking down the team sitting top of the table does mean something. Hibs have to make it mean something.
They have just half a dozen Scottish Premiership games to play – plus one Scottish Cup tie at Dunfermline – before the derby rolls around again on a Tuesday night at Tynecastle in early February. It’s worth considering where Gray’s men might find themselves, in the standings, by the time they resume hostilities with their nearest rivals.
After Aberdeen at Easter Road on Tuesday night, the SPFL dance card goes like this: Kilmarnock (A), Motherwell (H), Falkirk (A), Rangers (H), Dundee United (H). Six games absolutely bursting with potential, depending on your optimism levels.
Between now and that trip to Gorgie, and with a January transfer window looming, they’ve got a chance to put themselves right in the mix at the business end of a league with – for a welcome change – no runaway favourites streaking off into the distance. Looking back on a five-goal humdinger that involved a lot more control than the final score might suggest, do we believe that’s possible?
Hearts beaten - and very nearly broken
It’s difficult to overstate how dominant Hibs were for the opening hour, at the very least, of a contest that was in danger of slipping into a one-sided slaughter of Derek McInnes’ side. At 3-0, the home side had chances to punch an enormous hole through the title challenge so painstakingly put together by the Gorgie boys.
Losing a derby doesn’t rob them of their status as challengers. Especially as they did manage to bring it back to 3-2 by full-time. Spin it however you like, right?
But Hibs were so damned effective in breaking Hearts down and nullifying the visitors’ threats, bravely going man-for-man at the back and relying on controlled aggression to force play into safe zones, that it must give Gray and his coaching staff encouragement. Having come close against Rangers and Celtic this season, should they fear anyone over the second half of the campaign?
Everyone has a plan … and sometimes it works
Gray deserves real credit for his selection of Kanayo Megwa at right wingback, as bold a stroke as he’s pulled in his time as gaffer. It paid off, given the aggression and energy the versatile defender brought to the role.
And he also had a plan to cope with the possibility/probability of Nicky Cadden’s wounded calf flaring up again. Josh Campbell had been given a heads-up that he might be needed early – and Jamie McGrath was ready to slip into the left wingback role.
Just as everyone expected Hearts to target McGrath in a position he’d filled once during his time at Hibs, the exact opposite happened. The Irishman’s quality, already on show as he opened the scoring, came to the fore again as he set up Campbell for the second.
David Gray took account of ‘anxiety’ factor
So the substitute scored. Assisted by the guy you’ve moved out of position. That’s management.
Gray, never one to take too much credit, said simply: “I think every game, you set up a game plan of what you believe gives you the best opportunity to win. A derby is no different in terms of having a game plan.
“The one thing that's added to that is the importance and magnitude of the game. But also the free-flowing football that you maybe work on in training every week, it’s probably not going to be there as much just because of the anxiety in the stadium, the noise, the intensity of the atmosphere.
“There's a lot of chaos, a lot of tackles, a bit of stop-start at times. So you have to make sure the players are ready for that and able to stand up to it. I thought we did, in terms of the intensity and aggression that we knew Hearts were going to have.
“You could talk about game plans, you could talk about everything else but it's making sure the players are aware of what's coming. In fairness, they stepped up.”
Individual battles won
It’s hard to single players out. Or even go through highlight moments, beyond the goals.
But Kieron Bowie patting Cammy Devlin on the back, in a sign of apparently genuine consolation, with about an hour gone? It kind of summed things up.
All over the park, Hibs players spent most of the day dominating their opponents. Warren O’Hora deserves special mention for just how tight he went on Claudio Braga – to great effect.
Dan Barlaser found a midfield groove early. Bowie took his goal brilliantly. Martin Boyle made a remarkable contribution, for a striker who didn’t manage a shot on target; there are days when covering ground and winning the ball back matters more than anything.
Above all, Hibs took their chances. Halfway through a season when they’ve been consistently near the top of the rankings in expected goals (xG), that has to be a welcome trend.