Hibs ratings from controversial Edinburgh derby as double red card gives Hearts helping hand in title race

Nine-man Hibs eventually ran out of steam as they suffered more late heartbreak in the Edinburgh derby, with Blair Spittal’s strike just four minutes time increasing the likelihood of the nightmare scenario – a Hearts title win – for the Easter Road faithful. On a day when goalie Raphael Sallinger wsa sent off after just 13 minutes and Felix Passlack picked up a second yellow card just two minutes into the second half, Hibs looked as if they were going to pull of a minor miracle.

They were leading through an early Martin Boyle strike when they lost their first man. And were still ahead when Passlack walked.

But Lawrence Shankland’s equaliser after 65 minutes set up a siege over the closing stages. And it finally broke when Spittal picked his spot with a low drive from the edge of the box.

In a season of incredible twists and turns, here was yet another gut punch for a Hibs side who see Motherwell move further out of reach in the race for fourth place.

These games rarely start at anything less than hurricane pace. And this was no exception.

Hibs were ahead after just seven minutes, Boyle ghosting in at the back stick to volley Jamie McGrath’s dead-ball delivery into the roof of the net. Cue bedlam around three sides of the ground.

The whole mood changed, of course, the moment VAR Greg Aitken called Don Robertson over to review Sallinger’s moment of madness. The inevitable red card forced Gray to send an SOS to Jordan Smith, with Nicky Cadden the unlucky outfielder substituted to allow for the change.

In a game not short of incident an animosity, Passlack’s first booking for an ugly head-to-head confrontation with Stephen Kingsley would come back to haunt the German, as he caught Baningime when challenging for a bouncing ball early in the second half. Robertson quickly flashed a second yellow followed by the red.

Hibs held out until the 65th minute, when a low cross was deflected past a wrong-footed Smith, Shankland credited with the final touch. Now Hearts had their dander up. Now Hibs would be put under enormous pressure.

And it paid off for Hearts as they were able to walk the ball in and around the box before setting up Spittal for a strike that beat sub goalie Smith.