Hibs instant analysis: Same old story as Hearts snatch late point

David Gray's side had taken a deserved second-half lead via substitute Mykola Kukharevych, but were again pegged back as the clock ticked down as James Wilson levelled for the visitors in the 87th minute. A draw keeps Hibs bottom of the Scottish Premiership with six points from nine matches, and they were again left to rue missed chances and the concession of a soft goal at a crucial moment.

A midweek trip to Dingwall is now perhaps the last thing Hibs need in these troubled circumstances, but their Wednesday night date with Ross County is now highly significant in the context of a season that just cannot get off the ground.

Same old story for Hibs

Hibs are never beating the allegations, are they? Another week, another late goal conceded to change the narrative around them for the worse. Again, it was a failure to the basics that proved so costly. A long throw into the box not cleared, found its' way to Wilson and he smuggled the ball into the bottom corner. It's getting to the stage where we could probably cut and paste a previous week's match report and gamble that no one will be able to tell the difference. There are, unfortunately, so many ways to analyse a situation that is currently unfolding in almost exactly the same way week-upon-week. These derbies usually end in draws, and the result itself isn't a disaster, but it's the context in which it unfolded that left a deflated feeling around Easter Road. Hibs taking a deserved lead, only to be pegged back by a cheaply conceded goal. It's now eight goals lost in the final 15 minutes of matches for Hibs, a record that has cost them 10 points already this season.

Missed chances costly again

Without really sparkling in attack, Hibs still managed to create enough chances to win this game comfortably. Again, that must sound very familiar, and it must make Gray feel as though he's hitting his head off a brick wall as he ponders what might've been had his side just been that little bit more clinical. Dwight Gayle had enough opportunities to help himself to a hat-trick on his Edinburgh derby debut, and he twice headed straight at Craig Gordon from close range when hitting either corner would've surely been a certain goal. Nectar Triantis had a brilliant opportunity to double Hibs' advantage when he snuck in behind the Hearts defence from a free-kick, but he too shot straight at Gordon when he had the whole goal to aim at. It goes without saying, but if you can't keep the opposition out at the other end, you better make sure you maximise your own chances. Again, Hibs just couldn't do that. It is, of course, a positive that they are creating opportunities with frequency, but only matters if they can start converting those into goals. It could click suddenly and leave an opponent on the wrong end of a hiding, but that can't be taken for granted.

Kukharevych with a point to prove

It will have stung the big Ukrainian to find himself taking up a seat on the bench for this, given he'd led the line almost every game this season. But a lean spell and a promising substitute's appearance from Gayle last week prompted Gray to roll the dice. Better finishing on Gayle's part would have seen it hailed as a masterstroke, with the 34-year-old having at least three clear opportunities to mark his derby debut with a goal. When it didn't quite work out for Gayle, Gray was able to turn to a clearly fired-up Kukharevych, and it quickly paid dividends. The on-loan Swansea City striker made himself an immediate nuisance, and he was rewarded with a simple tap-in after Craig Gordon could only tip Marvin Ekpiteta's header onto the bar. It was the type of moment that just hasn't gone Hibs way of late, but Kukharevych was in no mood to pass this one up. It should have been the match-winning moment.

War of attrition

On the whole, we'll have to file that one under 'tough watch'. The build-up and sense of occasion that accompanies these fixtures quite often  surpasses the quality of football it produces, which isn't all that unusual when city rivals collide. In keeping with trend, this certainly was not a classic, punctuated by a missing touch of quality in the crucial moments. Composure was at a premium, at times, as was clinical finishing. HIbs enjoyed sporadic moments where it suddenly looked more fluid, but they came in between periods of the ball being battered long up the pitch to an isolated Gayle. For a team that's been slapped over and over again with the 'soft centre' allegations, these are the sort of matches you would perhaps expect them to wilt. But this is where Hibs are, again, a conundrum - for the most part they stood up to the battle here, and there was no shortage of fight across the pitch. The scenes that followed Kukharevych's opener were evidence that this is a group that are very much together. If only they could find a way to stop shooting themselves in the foot.