Hibernian 1-3 Hearts result, stats and report

Hearts left Easter Road with a 3-1 win in the Scottish Premiership on Thursday evening. The scoreline is fair. In fact, it is generous to Hibernian. When you hand the opposition a route back into a match through your own indiscipline, and then fold completely, you deserve nothing. That is what happened here. End of.

How the First Half Unfolded

Hibernian started the brighter side and took a deserved lead through James Wilson in the 13th minute. Wilson finished with his right foot, assisted by Josh McPake. It was a good goal and Hibs looked comfortable with it. The crowd was alive. The game was theirs to control.

Then came the moment that defined the match. Laurent Mendy headed Hibs in front at 43 minutes, with Blair Spittal providing the assist. Two goals up going into the break. In a derby. At home. The thing is, that should be enough to see it out. That should be the foundation you build on. Instead, Hearts spent the rest of the half making Hibs pay for losing their heads.

Jack Iredale had already been substituted off at 29 minutes following what appears to have been an injury, but he came back into the story in the worst possible way. Iredale received a yellow card in the 45th minute for an argument. In the last minute of the first half. Two goals down. It was needless. It was the kind of act that tells you everything about a side's attitude in a moment of pressure. You are already losing. You do not make it worse.

Hearts Turn the Screw After Half-Time

Hearts made two substitutions at half-time, bringing on Miguel Chaiwa and Adam Mayor. Mayor took exactly five minutes to justify his place on the pitch. He finished with his left foot in the 51st minute, assisted by Josh Mulligan, to make it 2-1. One goal back. Game completely changed. Hibs had allowed Hearts to walk back into a contest they had no right to be in.

The numbers tell the story of the second half. Hearts registered 17 shots in total to Hibs' 12. They created more danger and competed harder. Hibs had five shots on target compared to Hearts' four, but Hearts converted when it mattered. That is the difference between a side with desire and a side that is simply going through the motions once the momentum shifts.

Josh McPake then put the result beyond any doubt with a right-footed finish at 66 minutes, assisted by Jamie McCart. Hibs 1-3 Hearts. A two-goal lead had become a two-goal deficit. That is not bad luck. That is accountability failing completely across an entire squad.

Discipline Was an Absolute Disgrace

Let us be direct about Hearts' disciplinary record in this match, because it matters. Three yellow cards. One red card. Seventeen fouls committed. Grant Hanley picked up a yellow card at 85 minutes for a foul. Hearts finished the game with ten men and still won comfortably. That tells you the gap in quality and attitude between the two sides in the second half.

Listen, conceding a red card and still winning a derby away from home is the mark of a resilient squad. Hearts showed real character there. The discipline was unacceptable. The result was still deserved. You can hold both things at the same time.

Hibs, for their part, kept their discipline throughout and it did them absolutely no good. Zero yellow cards. Eight fouls. They were clean as a whistle and still shipped three goals. That means the problem was not temperament on Hibs' side. The problem was standards. The problem was the inability to compete for a full ninety minutes once Hearts found a way back into the match.

What the Stats Reveal

The statistics are a useful mirror here. Hearts had 62 attacks to Hibs' 43. Hearts registered 50 dangerous attacks to Hibs' 40. Hearts had 12 shots inside the box to Hibs' 9. The possession was split exactly 50-50. This was not a game where one side dominated the ball. Hearts simply did more with what they had and showed more desire to get in behind the Hibs defence.

Hibs had five accurate crosses to Hearts' three. They won 65 duels to Hearts' 64. On paper, Hibs competed reasonably well across the basics. But they did not compete when it counted, in the moments after Mayor's goal when the match was genuinely in the balance. That is where character matters. That is where you find out what a squad is made of. Hibs failed that test badly.

Hearts hit the woodwork once and missed one big chance. They were not clinical by the highest standards. But they scored three goals from four shots on target. When you have that kind of ruthlessness in front of goal, you do not need to be perfect everywhere else.

The Verdict

Hearts came to Easter Road and won a derby 3-1 after going two goals down. Whatever their disciplinary failings, and they were significant, that result demands respect. They showed they could absorb a difficult opening, reorganise at half-time, and impose themselves on the match when it mattered.

Hibs have questions to answer. You do not surrender a two-goal lead in a home derby without serious problems somewhere in your side. The attitude going into the second half was wrong. The basics of defending a lead were not executed. There was no accountability in the moments when Hearts were building momentum. That falls on the players first and the coaching staff second.

Hibs' recent Scottish Premiership form showed three wins in their last five matches. They were capable of winning this game. They had every reason to believe they would. But belief counts for nothing if you do not execute when the pressure is on. Hearts wanted it more in the second half. You could see it from the stands. You do not need anything else to explain this result.