LENNON IS A REAL HEARTS STOPPER

HIBS are hoping for a derby win over Hearts tonight to boost their bid to finish best of the rest in the Premiership. But win, lose or draw at Tynecastle, Neil Lennon knows the local bragging rights in Edinburgh have long been secured. In January, Craig Levein famously claimed the ‘natural order’ had been restored in the capital following a 1-0 Scottish Cup win for Hearts in Gorgie. That drew an angry response from Lennon but, 180 minutes from the end of the league season, his side are 20 points clear of their fierce city foes. ‘We are the better team,’ said Lennon. ‘We could lose tonight, but the league table tells you we are 20 points clear. That is a chasm. ‘We’ve had the better of the Edinburgh derbies this season (winning twice at Easter Road) and we should have won at Tynecastle in December when Oli Shaw scored a goal that never was. ‘This is the fifth time we have played Hearts this season and I’m not going to build it into something it’s not.’ Regardless of whether Hibs finish second or not, they are a point away from their highest-ever top-flight total since the rule of three points for a win was introduced. ‘The players have really played well and been a shot in the arm to the division,’ said Lennon. Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers branded the long grass at Tynecastle ‘embarrassing’ after his side’s 3-1 win in Gorgie last Sunday. The pitch has since been trimmed but Lennon would have been calm with Levein taking a similar approach tonight. ‘I don’t have any concerns about the playing surface,’ he said. ‘There is plenty of grass on it, which makes a change. ‘I can understand where Brendan was coming from but Hearts aren’t going to cut the pitch or make the dimensions bigger to suit anyone other than themselves.’