Let’s play it again
Marciano ensures a derby day stalemate
THEY can switch the names, the faces and the nationalities all they like. In the blood and thunder of an Edinburgh derby, they can change the meat, they can’t change the gravy.
For Ian Cathro and Neil Lennon this was a first exposure to capital mayhem. On the field Hearts handed two new Greek signings, a Portuguese, a Frenchman, a Slovenian, a German and a Northern Irishman their first derby experience. They could have asked fans to buy their tickets in Euros for all the difference it might have made. When these teams meet culture and finesse leave the premises.
A cup tie in every sense, the football was fast, furious and frantic. For the second year in succession a fifth-round Scottish Cup meeting ended in a Tynecastle stalemate and the teams now replay at Easter Road a week on Wednesday.
The reward for the victor is a home tie with either Clyde or Ayr United next month in the quarter-finals.
It was a fraught, none too pretty game of football; almost comically chaotic. Chances at a premium, Hearts had two of the best — recalled Hibs keeper Ofir Marciano justifying his selection with key stops at the start of each half.
Give Lennon and his side this; no one speaks of ‘Hibsing it’ any more. They wouldn’t dare.
Against an improving Hearts team fourth in the top tier, the Championship leaders emerged with their grip on the Scottish Cup intact. At time up the 3,500 away fans in the Roseburn Stand bayed their defiance as if they had won the game. With home advantage in the return, they still might.
‘I think what everyone saw today was two teams that played a derby for what it was,’ said Easter Road striker Grant Holt. ‘Tackles flying in, people working hard, out on their feet, both teams got stuck in.
‘It was a scrappy game, the wind was howling and the pitch bobbly — and it was two committed teams that wanted to win. Sometimes you have to get rid of all the niceties and the TV people at home probably didn’t enjoy it — but in us they would see a good team that wants to win football matches.
‘On the day I thought we probably edged it — but a draw was fair.’
Lennon was the happier of the two coaches at time-up. Suggesting a bone dry, awful pitch made it impossible to play football, at times it showed.
Yet Silverknowes bowling club could host these teams in a Scottish Cup tie and, irrespective of the surface, tension would see composure off the premises.
‘I don’t think that pitch is designed to play good football on,’ added Holt. ‘There’s sand everywhere. There were times we were trying to play passes and it was getting stuck under feet.
‘We have John McGinn and James Keatings who like to run with the ball and you can’t do that. But it is about the result at the end of the day, it’s about doing what you can, working hard and I thought we did that.’
The visitors turned up here buoyed by the memory of last season when, at the same stage of the competition, they looked dead and buried. Two goals down at the same venue they were headed for another ignominious Scottish Cup exit until an improbable comeback proved the platform for 114 years of hurt coming to an end.
Before kick-off Lennon preached the need for calm. Yet Hibs endured a ropey start.
Hearts should have taken the lead in two minutes, Esmael Goncalves — a fine signing — haring onto a pinpoint first-time pass from left-back Lennard Sowah, taking a strong first touch before poking the ball too close to an advancing Marciano.
The Israeli keeper was hardly overworked. But he made important stops at important times.
His opposite number was an equally redundant figure for long spells. Hibs ended the opening half the stronger team, the much taunted figure of Holt bludgeoning through powderpuff challenges from three Hearts players — Alexandros Tziolis, Malaury Martin and Anastasios Avlonitis — to tee up a shot for Jason Cummings.
With four goals in his last seven Edinburgh derbies, the boyhood Hearts fan was always the best bet for a Hibs goal. This time his curling shot was parried by Jack Hamilton, the ball falling unkindly for Holt as the former Norwich man failed to bundle it into the net.
In truth, it was a half of football to make a nation’s watching eyes bleed in despair. After two wins, Hearts had 45 minutes to avert an Easter Road replay.
Cathro made a half-time change, introducing striker Bjorn Johnsen for French midfielder Martin.
The switch almost paid swift dividends. On 52 minutes, a ricocheted loose ball in the area fell for the substitute to nick a deft close-range effort towards goal. The outstretched left foot of Marciano blocked superbly. Yet Jamie Walker looked short odds to thump the loose ball through a ruck of bodies before the under-rated Darren McGregor blocked bravely.
Hibs came through a ropey spell to rally in the edgy, nervy latter stages.
With 13 minutes to play, Keatings sent an inviting long ball down the left flank picking out Cummings. He didn’t have much support. Glancing up the Scotland Under-21 striker could see Holt galloping towards the back post towing a caravan. The ball across goal was finely weighted, but too much of an ask for the Englishman. Holt did a great job for Hibs here, but his race was run.
They’ll go again on February 22 and after a run of six derby games unbeaten, a rejuvenated Hibs will fancy their chances.
‘I don’t think there is ever a driving seat in a derby,’ claims Holt. ‘I have been at places and been home and away and it’s no different, really. You go there with the same mindset, to win a game of football.’