Hibs instant analysis: Chances to win it, huge penalty controversy

Emiliano Marcondes had given Hibs a deserved advantage as he tucked away the rebound after Martin Boyle's dinked effort was cleared off the line. But they were pegged back by a Lawrence Shankland spot-kick after referee Kevin Clancy penalised Will Fish as he came together with Kenneth Vargas. The referee was invited to the pitchside monitor for a second look, but decided to stick with his original decision.

Hibs had the better of the second-half chances, with Dylan Vente, Myziane Maolida and Jordan Obita all going close, but they couldn't apply the final touch at the crucial moment. Patrick McPartlin and Liam Bryce were at Tynecastle to provide the instant analysis.

Mixed emotions

In isolation, a point at Tynecastle is no bad thing, but on this occasion the draw comes with a heavy sense of what could have been. We'll come the penalty decision in due course, but from their own perspective, Hibs created enough chances to win this derby. From Boyle being unable to bring the ball under his spell as he raced through on the Hearts goal, to Myziane's back post header going wide, to the several shots in the box that cannoned off a maroon jersey, Montgomery will feel that a share of the spoils is the least his team should have taken from this. In the bigger picture, though, it is arguably another sign that this team is beginning to gel. They looked the more dangerous side at the home of a team well clear as the Premiership's best of the rest, and weren't caused significant defensive problems by them either. There was a grittiness about Hibs, too, one that certainly was not present in the miserably passive defeats to Rangers and St Mirren not so long ago. In the first-half, especially, there wasn't too much in the way of pretty football, but it was effective enough to earn a deserved lead and sow considerable discontent around three quarters of Tynecastle. These last few weeks have signalled progress, but Hibs fans are still waiting on that one statement result to really kickstart what remains of this season. This, perhaps, should have been it.

Liam Bryce

More VAR controversy

Having already received an apology from the Scottish FA - albeit one they deny issuing - Hibs might just be making another not-so-polite appearance in Crawford Allan's e-mail inbox before he's finished his Thursday morning coffee. Nick Montgomery has been at pains to stress he does not want to keep discussing refereeing decisions as they relate to his team, and you can tell he means it, but the Hibs manager is being left with little choice at the moment. First, it was the decision not to award a penalty against Nicky Devlin at Pittodrie, now it’s an arguably even more inexplicable call to give one against Will Fish here. The Hibs centre-back actually pulls out of an attempt to tackle Kenneth Vargas, his momentum inducing fairly light contact as stops in his tracks, but to which the Hearts winger reacts by dramatically throwing himself to the floor. It looked dubious from afar in the Tynecastle press box, and it appeared those suspicions were about to be confirmed when referee Kevin Clancy was beckoned over to the pitchside VAR monitor for a second look. Incredibly, though, the referee concluded that he’d got it right in the first instance. Fair enough awarding it in real time, these things happen, but to look at multiple replays and still deem the contact worthy of a spot-kick was downright bizarre.

Liam Bryce

Are Hibs gelling?

For just the second time in his time as Hibs manager Nick Montgomery was able to name an unchanged starting XI for the trip across town, and there was a noticeable difference in the frantic opening exchanges as Hibs looked polished, sharp, and confident - qualities not often associated with Hibs sides in Gorgie. 

Prior to the game the Easter Road boss stressed that his side, with its influx of January signings, were only too aware of what the derby meant for Hibs and the fans, and the city - messages we’ve heard from countless players and managers over the years who haven’t managed to do any talking on the pitch.

But it was noticeable that this Hibs team took to the Tynecastle turf with a bit of swagger and belief and in the first part of the game Hearts seemed unsure how to cope with it and it wasn’t a huge surprise when Emiliano Marcondes slotted home the opening goal of the game after Martin Boyle’s initial effort had been blocked. 

For much of the game Hibs were on top, and noticeably so. It just seemed that every time they got a shot away there was a maroon-clad leg in the way, or the woodwork, or Zander Clark. 

Hibs can take a lot of pride from this performance and with a little more luck, or a deflection, might have been leaving with all three points.

At the very least though, it’s a platform upon which to build this weekend. 

Patrick McPartlin

Youan looks hungry

Élie Youan didn’t get off the bench during Saturday’s 2-1 win against Dundee but given his last visit to Tynecastle it was a safe bet that, if he was named on the bench again, he would be coming off it at some point and he duly replaced Dylan Vente with around 20 minutes of the encounter remaining. His first act was to swing over a cross onto Myziane Maolida’s head, but his former France youth team-mate headed agonisingly wide from close range. He then tried to link up with Myziane once more but the on-loan Hertha Berlin forward’s effort was always rising even without the offside flag being raised. 

Nick Montgomery has form for taking players out of the team for a game or two and then bringing them back refreshed - or at least he does when he has the bodies to do so.

He came on at a time when Hibs were in the ascendancy and did have one or two moments, but there was still one hairy moment when Youan attempted one too many stepovers and lost the ball, allowing Hearts to counter swiftly, but he was bailed out by his team-mates and in fairness, he was less lax for the remainder of the game.

On this display, it would be unlikely to see him return to the starting line-up for Saturday’s visit of Ross County. But if that makes him hungrier and more focused to make an impact when he does come off the bench, that will be no bad thing for Montgomery. 

Patrick McPartlin