Heart of Midlothian 1-1 Hibernian

• Hearts remain unbeaten in league

• Jason Cummings nets Hibs opener

• Jamie Walker levels with long range effort

• Leaders Hearts 19 points clear of rivals

Jamie Walker's cracking long-range goal earned Hearts a point in the Edinburgh derby and kept their unbeaten league record intact.

Hibs dominated the first half and took the lead through Jason Cummings' back post finish.

Jamie Walker squared it before the break with an impressive 20-yard drive.

Chances were at a premium after the break and Championship-leaders Hearts remain 16 points clear of Rangers, with Hibs three points further back.

Hibs' 4-0 hammering of Rangers had given Alan Stubbs' side a renewed sense of confidence going into the match and they started the brighter.

A slack pass from Hearts' Alim Ozturk gave Cummings an early sight of goal but his effort from distance was saved by goalkeeper Neil Alexander.

That proved symptomatic of the hosts' start, as Robbie Neilson's charges made several errors in their own half.

Jason Cummings scored his first Edinburgh derby goal to hand Hibernian the lead

Hibs midfielder Scott Allan, outstanding in the win over Rangers last time out, showed early signs he was in the mood again and Morgaro Gomis and Prince Buaben resorted to hauling him down in attempts to curtail his early industry.

But no-one in the Hearts midfield got close enough to Allan as he set up the opener his side's play merited midway through the half.

The 23-year-old picked up the ball around 30 yards from goal and whipped in a brilliant delivery from the right that evaded the opposing back line and fell perfectly for Cummings to side-foot the ball home at the back post.

Cummings should have doubled his tally soon after when Lewis Stevenson's cross from the left flank picked him out in space at the back post, but he misjudged his header and it bounced wide.

Walker's tame shot into the side netting was as close as Hearts had come in the opening 35 minutes but he levelled with a brilliant drive. Adam Eckersley picked out his team-mate on the left and Walker moved infield and arrowed a right-foot shot into the top corner from 20 yards.

Eckersley headed wide as Hearts made a better start to the second half but the errors soon crept back into their play as the visitors grabbed the initiative.

Both sides had penalty claims when Hibs' Danny Handling and Hearts' Gomis went down in either box within a few minutes of each other, but referee Steven McLean showed no interest in the appeals.

When Walker tumbled after colliding with Stevenson in the area, the home fans again howled for a spot-kick, but, once more, ref McLean was unmoved.

Jamie Walker's excellent drive from 20 yard on the angle secured a derby day point for Hearts

Sam Nicholson nodded over the bar from Eckersley's delivery as the hosts threatened again, before Callum Paterson made a brilliant acrobatic clearance from his own six yard line, with Hibs striker Dominique Malonga waiting to pounce.

The levels of enthusiasm and endeavour never dropped but the quality in the final third did as the second half wore on.

Hibs defender Liam Fontaine, however, provided a real moment of class when he cut out an Eckersley cross from virtually under his own bar, with James Keatings ready to apply what would have been a simple finish.

That sparked both sides into life again, with Hibs' Callum Booth having an attempt blocked before Buaben tried an audacious effort with the outside of his right boot that flashed just wide of the top corner.

Neither side could find a winner though, and Hearts maintained their huge lead over their city rivals in the race for promotion to Scotland's top flight.