Derby win gets Stendel’s side out of bottom spot
THERE have been a few false dawns for Hearts during a wretched campaign that has seen them rooted to the bottom of the Ladbrokes Premiership table and part company with their manager.
But the Tynecastle club successfully built on their William Hill Scottish Cup quarter-final win over Rangers on Saturday with an emphatic and unexpected Edinburgh derby triumph over Hibernian at Easter Road last night that was possibly even sweeter for their long-suffering fans.
The victory, clinched thanks to a penalty from Sean Clare and goals from Oliver Bozanik and Conor Washington in the second-half, saw Daniel Stendel’s side leapfrog Hamilton in the table.
There are still another 10 top flight games to be played this term, but all of a sudden the capital club’s chances of survival look far brighter.
They will certainly take huge confidence from their back-toback triumphs. They will, too, fancy their chances of winning the semi-final against their city rivals next month after this.
Stendel left Steven Naismith, the Man of the Match in the Rangers triumph five days earlier, on the bench and started Liam Boyce up front alongside Washington. The German would doubtless have loved to have had the Scot on the park from kick-off. But he was wary of asking too much of a player who has been troubled by injury problems this season.
Naismith could possibly have done more with the hopeful long balls the Hearts players shelled upfield after the match kicked off. Hibs goalkeeper Ofier Marciano was untroubled in the opening exchanges.
The home team played by far the more the fluid football. Christian Doidge nodded narrowly wide after good work by Martin Boyle out wide in the ninth minute.
It was a surprise, then, when the visitors came close to opening the scoring against the run of play in the in the 19th minute. Craig Halkett got on the end of an Bozanik free-kick and Marciano had to show quick reactions to dive and tip the Hearts centre half’s downward header past his left post.
Hibs were lucky to keep
Marc McNulty on the park shortly after that. The onloan Reading striker clearly stamped on the back of Clare as his opponent lay on the ground. The incident went unnoticed by referee Kevin Clancy and his assistants. Linesman Calum Spence,