BOYLE OVER
Mart’s double leaves Daniel wishing he’d stayed in Germany
DANIEL STENDEL might be wishing he’d just stayed in Germany until the New Year.
Booking a flight home to attend “family business” earlier in the week, he hurried back to Gorgie on Christmas Eve.
But having seen what his Hearts side served up against their bitter rivals, he might be regretting leaving his stollen and mulled wine behind.
Not having the boss around in the days leading up to the game arguably contributed to the horror show, with the Jambos laboured in attack and uncertain at the back.
A first-half Martin Boyle double did the damage on Boxing Day as Hibs merely had to do the basics right to ensure they made it two wins from their last two visits to Tynecastle.
It was even sweeter for the pacey Australia winger, who was played up top, considering the long road he’s been on over the last year or so to recover from a horror knee injury.
He said: “All the punters came out and they were enjoying it. That’s brilliant and will live with me a long time but it was a team game and we were really at it.
“The manager can see I’m very versatile and I’m willing to play anywhere. I just get stuck in.
“It’s good to be out there after being such a long time injured and I’m just appreciating being back playing at the moment and thankfully doing well.
“We expected them to come out second half and cause us
problems but our defence was on top. We’ve come off the back of two tough games against two top sides challenging each other.
“It feels good. The result’s the main thing but as a personal achievement it’s quite good. We’re creeping back up the table.”
The difficulties Hearts found themselves in before the game were well publicised.
As well as hailing their two goal hero, the 2996 Hibees in the Roseburn Stand made sure their hosts’ predicament wasn’t about to be forgotten.
“Hearts are going down, going down” was other big Christmas hit of the afternoon. That may or may not be the case but Boyle insisted it wasn’t something the Hibs players were concerning themselves with.
He said: “It all goes out the window when you come into a derby. When you know it’s going to be a battle.
“They are a big physical side and we know the threat they pose from long throws and corners into our box. We knew our defence and our keeper had to be strong and come out and collect the balls.”
Hearts’ preparation had been justifiably questioned in the run-up, with just assistant Andy Kirk and goalkeeping coach Paul Gallacher around to take training for the two days prior to what many fans consider the biggest game of the season.
But despite his absence, Stendel had apparently left a detailed plan for his players to
follow. But it was out the window after just six minutes as Hibs took an early lead.
An attempted clearance was blocked and bounced up for Scott Allan who hooked a speculative ball over his own head and into the area.
From then on it was all about Boyle. The winger kept his eye on the ball as Christophe Berra tried to get close enough to affect his finish but he took it beautifully, placing a first-time sidefooted volley past Joel Pereira.
Soon after hesitancy in the Hearts box by Aaron Hickey allowed Jason Naismith to pick his pocket before laying the ball back to Chris Doidge but the Welshman blazed his shot over on the angle.
Allan’s inswinging corner from the left then almost caught out Pereira as it dipped over his head but luckily for Heart it bounced off the outside of the far post.
Sean Clare’s drive at the other end was always drifting away from goal despite being well struck, although it was the best Hearts had mustered with Ofir Marciano a virtual spectator.
He was called in to action when Ryo Meshino jinked in from the touchline and hit a swerving drive from the edge of the area but the movement on the ball took it straight in to the grateful Israeli’s arms.
Hibs then doubled their lead on the half-hour mark.
Not for the first time this season Loic Damour wanted far too much time on the ball and it cost Hearts dearly as his dillydallying allowed Allan to nick the ball and play through for Boyle.
He was never being caught after going in behind and took a
touch across Hickey before calmly sliding home the second.
Hearts mustered another Meshino dipping strike towards Marciano in response, this time the Hibs keeper had to throw himself to his left to stop the ball from nestling in the top corner.
The on-loan Man City man’s personal duel with Marciano continued in the second half as Hearts started to show a bit more.
But again the visiting keeper was equal to yet another dipping effort, getting down smartly to his left and pushing strong wrists behind the Japanese ace’s latest attempt.
Ikpeazu was then slid through for the hosts’ best chance of the game but the tame, bobbling effort from the big striker that trundled wide of the far post summed up how things had gone for him and his team until that point. A similar ball to Euan Henderson almost yielded a way back into the game for the Jambos but Marciano did well to block the first effort with his legs before springing back up and clawing away the rebound for a corner. There was never the sense of belief Hearts really could find a way back in to the game, let alone stage a dramatic comeback. That was palpable in the stands as well as on the pitch, with some major rebuilding work to be done in January if the situation is to improve.