Shaun Maloney blasts Hibs' unacceptable second-half performance against Hearts: 'Not good enough for top six, top four, or Europe'

The Easter Road side got off to a dream start in Gorgie, taking the lead after just five minutes through Drey Wright, but Andy Halliday equalised in first-half injury time, Stephen Kingsley put Hearts ahead shortly after the restart, and Halliday made it three just before the hour mark.

"We were very good in parts of the first half, but we can't allow a set-play goal in the second half, after a couple of minutes, to completely alter how we play and the mentality of the team,” a crestfallen Maloney said afterwards.

"That's the biggest disappointment. The performance in the second half, I can't accept, and I won't.

Shaun Maloney was disappointed with his side's second-half performance

“When I came in and we were seventh, I saw traits that at times we've eradicated but today in big moments under the biggest pressure, they came out again.

"And that's why we find ourselves in seventh again.”

Hibs face Hearts again next weekend in the last four of the Scottish Cup.

Maloney continued: “The players have an opportunity next week to put it right. We can't accept that performance, we can't think that that's going to be good enough for top six, top four, or challenging for Europe.

"I understand we have some young players but they have to learn very quickly that it matters, and it matters a lot – to them, to the club, and to their careers.

"We could talk about everything: how we play or the style of play, but the bottom line in every team is that you have to compete.

"When you go 2-1 down at your biggest rivals, can we still go and compete? Today we showed that we didn't.

"We have to change that very quickly. We have an opportunity next week but what I saw today tells me, although I already knew, the reasons why we were seventh when I came in, and why we've now dropped to seventh.”

Asked if he put the collapse down to mentality or footballing ability, Maloney was curt: “You need both and in the second half we were below the level required for both.”

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