Key Takeaways
- Blair Spittal scored in the 86th minute to give Hearts a 2-1 victory over Hibernian
- Hibernian finished with nine players after red cards for Raphael Sallinger and Felix Passlack
- The win puts Hearts four points ahead of Rangers at the top of the table
Heart of Midlothian moved closer to a first league championship since 1960 after defeating local rivals Hibernian 2-1 in a dramatic Edinburgh derby on Sunday.
Substitute Blair Spittal scored the winning goal with just four minutes remaining. His calm finish completed a comeback for the visitors, who had fallen behind early in the match.
Hibernian took the lead through Martin Boyle. The forward scored with a powerful volley after a defensive error by Hearts. However, the home side’s advantage disappeared when goalkeeper Raphael Sallinger was sent off. He handled the ball outside his penalty area to stop Pierre Kaboré from scoring.
Hearts found an equaliser through captain Lawrence Shankland. His clever backheel flick struck defender Warren O’Hora and found the net. Despite having an extra player, the visitors struggled to create clear chances against a stubborn defence.
Hibernian’s task became impossible early in the second half. Defender Felix Passlack received a second yellow card for tripping Beni Baningime. The referee showed him a red card, leaving Hibernian with nine men.
Manager David Gray defended his players’ commitment. “The nine men who remained gave absolutely everything,” he said. “Both sending-offs were correct decisions. Our mistakes cost us the game.”
Hearts manager Derek McInnes praised his team’s patience. “You cannot practise playing against nine men,” he explained. “It was an unusual situation but the players stayed calm. This was a big moment in our story.”
The result extends Hearts’ lead over Rangers to four points. Rangers dropped points against Motherwell earlier in the day, while defending champions Celtic sit three points behind the leaders.
Hearts now face Rangers at Tynecastle Park on Monday. They can afford to lose that match and still remain top of the table with three games left to play.