Hearts 3-0 Hibernian: Shankland double helps hosts to derby win
- Published
Lawrence Shankland opened the scoring from close range early on
Two goals from Lawrence Shankland ensured Hearts kicked off 2023 with a resounding derby victory over Hibernian at Tynecastle.
A calamitous error from Hibs full-back Will Fish led to Shankland firing home the opener in the first 10 minutes.
Shankland converted from the spot to double Hearts' lead, and though Hibs threatened after the break, Stephen Humphrys put the game beyond doubt.
Hearts are now five points clear in third place, with Hibs eighth.
With eight defeats in their previous 10 matches, Lee Johnson would have been desperate for his side to make a solid start, but within eight minutes they had hit the self-destruct button.
Fish, on his first start for Hibs, wanted too long on the ball to clear his lines and was hunted down and robbed by Cammy Devlin. Josh Ginelly's shot was parried by David Marshall and Shankland was on hand to turn the ball home.
The nerves in the Hibs ranks were obvious, failing to keep hold of the ball for any sustained period as Hearts knocked it about confidently having got their noses in front.
Kevin Nisbet had the first sight of goal for the visitors, his shot from 10 yards out deflected wide after good work from Joe Newell.
Hearts looked to have doubled their lead when Toby Sibbick fired home after a Robert Snodgrass cross caused chaos in the Hibs box. The visitors thought they had escaped when the goal was ruled out for offside, but the reprieve was short-lived.
After a six-minute VAR stoppage, referee Kevin Clancy awarded a penalty for a handball against Rocky Bushiri. Shankland did the business from the spot for his 15th league goal of the season.
Clark had 'blood pouring from head' after object thrown from crowd
Fish almost made amends for his earlier error when he rose to head a free-kick goalwards, but Zander Clark had his positioning right to make a comfortable save.
Then came a huge chance for Hibs. Sibbick's blunder allowed Elie Youan a free run on goal, only for the Frenchman to take an age setting himself and allowed Sibbick to make an excellent recovery tackle.
Johnson tried to turn the tide with two changes at the break, Fish's difficult derby debut brought to a premature end as he and Harry McKirdy made way for Kyle Magennis and Aiden McGeady.
Hibs were indebted to Paul Hanlon for a terrific last-ditch tackle on Devlin just as he was bearing down on goal.
Chris Cadden drifted in off the right flank and fired a shot straight down Clark's throat. Then Youan drove into the box and found Nisbet whose shot on the spin looked destined for the net until a fantastic block from Alex Cochrane.
Hibs were having more joy and Youan and McGeady were starting to find gaps to exploit in the Hearts defence, but they needed a goal to set the alarm bells ringing around the home support at Tynecastle.
Barrie McKay almost settled the affair with a strike that flew off target after a blunder from Bushiri.
Cadden again tried his luck after coming in from his flank and his curling effort flew agonisingly past the post with Clark beaten.
Moments later, Cadden laid it on a plate for Magennis but he was denied by a stunning double save from Clark.
It was just that kind of day for Hibs and substitute Stephen Humphrys rubbed salt in their wounds by outpacing the defence to slot home the third and send the Hearts fans home happy.
Player of the match - Lawrence Shankland
The striker's clinical double gave Hearts a lead they never looked like relinquishing
Hibs' first-half failings so costly - analysis
With so little separating the sides below Celtic and Rangers in the table, a reliable goalscorer can make all the difference and they don't come much more reliable in the Scottish game than Lawrence Shankland.
The two goals he scored here were not the most spectacular of his career, but the Scotland striker was in the right place at the right time to slot home the first, while the second was an expertly taken penalty. That was what decided the derby.
What will be most frustrating for Lee Johnson is that Hibs did not start to show anything meaningful until they were 2-0 down.
His team looked spooked by the fashion in which they gifted Hearts the lead, with Fish's error seeming to spread nervousness through the rest of the side in the first half.
Hibs were a different side after the break, dominating the ball and creating numerous big chances. Had they performed like that from the off then they may well have taken something from the game, but as it is the wretched run of form continues.
It's now six points from the last 33 available, a situation that needs to be gripped sooner rather than later.
What they said
Neilson savours 'very good day' for Hearts
Hearts boss Robbie Neilson: "I thought Hibs actually started the game a bit better, I was pleased with how we flipped that at the start of the game and to get the result was outstanding for us.
"Zander Clark is a Scottish international, he's played at the top level in Scotland for a long time and in Europe so we knew he would do well for us.
"There's always a lot of pressure when you're taking over from someone of Craig (Gordon)'s stature, but I thought he handled it very well today. The double-save at the end will just boost his confidence as well."
Hibernian manager Lee Johnson: "The first half was sorry, it wasn't enough. We had a couple of big opportunities to score but inevitably they were more clinical than us.
"Key moments in the game they delivered and we didn't. I think that is a little bit of the story at the moment at the club. It's a fantastic football club but we're not doing enough.
"There's no doubt mentally we've got to be stronger as a team. I'm sick to death of the mediocrity in that final third."
Lee Johnson 'sick of mediocrity' after Hibs' derby loss to Hearts
What's next?
Hearts travel to Paisley to take on St Mirren on Saturday (15:00 GMT), while Hibs are away to Motherwell the following day (13:30).