Key Takeaways
- Hearts secured a 2-1 comeback victory against Hibernian despite trailing early in the Edinburgh derby
- Hibernian finished with nine men after goalkeeper Raphael Sallinger and defender Felix Passlack both received red cards
- The win extends Hearts’ lead to three points over Celtic and four over Rangers with only four matches left this season
Blair Spittal struck an 86th-minute winner as Hearts defeated nine-man Hibernian 2-1 at Easter Road to take a major step toward the Scottish Premiership title.
The substitute curled home from inside the penalty area to complete the turnaround. Hibernian’s indiscipline proved costly, with goalkeeper Raphael Sallinger and defender Felix Passlack both sent off in separate incidents.
The result moves Hearts three points clear of second-placed Celtic and four ahead of Rangers in third place. Only four games remain in the season.
Martin Boyle had given Hibernian the lead after seven minutes, finishing from close range following Jamie McGrath’s dangerous free-kick. The home crowd at Easter Road, numbering 19,502, were in high spirits.
However, the match changed seven minutes later. Sallinger collected a long ball outside his penalty area, with VAR intervening to alert the referee. After reviewing the monitor, the official showed the goalkeeper a straight red card.
Playing with ten men, Hibernian held firm until halftime, with Claudio Braga missing two clear chances for Hearts. The task became impossible when Passlack received a second yellow card for a high challenge on Beni Baningime shortly after the interval.
Hearts dominated possession and hit the crossbar through Marc Leonard before finally equalising. Lawrence Shankland flicked the ball on at the near post, and Warren O’Hora diverted it into his own net.
Despite the two-man advantage, Hearts struggled to create clear openings until the closing stages. Spittal collected a pass from Sabah Kerjota on the right side of the box and found the bottom corner to spark celebrations among the travelling supporters.
Hearts captain Lawrence Shankland expressed confidence after the match. “We want to do it,” he stated. “We’re close enough. We’ve worked so hard to get to this point and it’s important we go and try to finish it off.”
Manager Derek McInnes praised his side’s patience. “We stayed calm, stayed disciplined. When we need someone, our captain does it again,” he said. “We then need the winner and Blair Spittal scores goals like that every day.”
Football analyst Kris Boyd commented on Hearts’ strong position. “Hearts have been at the top of the table for a long, long time now. They’ve got full belief in their manager,” he noted. “I see a team that’s all together.”
Hibernian manager David Gray lamented his team’s errors. “The last two games we’ve beaten ourselves,” he admitted. “The nine men that remained on the pitch from 48 minutes gave absolutely everything. Both red card decisions are right, they’re just mistakes.”
Hearts now face Rangers in a crucial fixture next weekend on May 4. A win in that match would put them on the brink of securing the championship.