Driver and Glen put Hearts in command with first-half goals
By Andy Campbell
Hearts claimed a deserved victory over Hibernian in the third Edinburgh derby of the season.
The hosts built up a two-goal lead within 27 minutes through Andrew Driver's strike and Gary Glen's header.
Suso Santana missed an open goal after the break as Hearts continued to press and Glen had a header well saved by goalkeeper Graham Stack.
Derek Riordan pulled one back for Hibs 11 minutes from the end with a shot in off the crossbar.
The result consolidates Hearts' sixth-place berth in the Scottish Premier League while Hibs remain a point behind fourth-placed Motherwell, who have played a game more.
Laryea Kingston's powerful drive flashed wide of the Hibs goal before Hearts defender Dawid Kucharski limped off to be replaced by Santana.
And the Spaniard played a crucial part in the opening goal as he skipped away from Lewis Stevenson and delivered the ball into the box.
Keeper Stack was static as the cross struck the near post and fell kindly to Driver, who lashed the ball high into the net.
Another Hearts substitution followed the goal as Ian Black, who earlier received treatment for a head knock, was withdrawn for Ryan Stevenson.
Riordan's goal proved to be a consolation for Hibs
Hearts moved further ahead when Driver's corner was nodded into the six-yard box by Eggert Jonsson and Glen's deft header carried the ball past Stack.
Poor marking at corners created chances for Jonsson, David Obua and Palazuelos but Hearts could not force a third before the break.
Hearts' attacking intent was to the fore in the opening minutes of the second period as Obua volleyed over from close range.
The Ugandan then set up a gilt-edged chance for Santana but, with the goal gaping, the winger contrived to blaze his shot over as the Hibs defence tried frantically to get back.
Glen and Obua combined to put the former clean through on goal but the striker was put off by the challenge of Lewis Stevenson as he rounded Stack and allowed the ball to trickle out of play.
Stack then made an excellent save to palm away Glen's header from Laryea Kingston's free-kick.
Hibs were finding it difficult to make in-roads to the Hearts goal and a rare sight of goal for Riordan was foiled by Jason Thomson's block.
Delicate control by Driver took him away from Ian Murray and the winger's lob was cleared off the line by Lewis Stevenson.
Having rarely threatened, there was an element of surprise when Hibs halved their deficit with Riordan punishing sloppy defending by Hearts.
David Wotherspoon's wayward cross was allowed to reach Riordan at the back post and the forward found the net with the benefit of the bar.
Wotherspoon found himself in an attacking area again moments later and tested goalkeeper Janos Balogh with an angled drive.
Stack made another impressive save to divert Ryan Stevenson's strike from the edge of the box as Hearts ran down the clock.
Live text and stats
Saturday, 20 March 2010
Scottish Premier
Home Team
Score
Away Team
Time
Hearts
2-1
Hibernian
FT
(HT 2-0)
Driver 24
Glen 27
Riordan 79
Hearts
01 Balogh
02 Kucharski (Suso Santana 18)
03 Wallace
13 Obua
20 Thomson
04 Jonsson
06 Palazuelos
08 Black (Stevenson 25)
10 Kingston (Thomson 82)
11 Driver
36 Glen yellow card
Substitutes
30 MacDonald,
07 Suso Santana,
16 Stevenson,
46 Thomson,
14 Nade,
24 Templeton,
55 Robinson
Hibernian
01 Stack
06 Murray
15 Thicot
26 Bamba
11 Rankin (Benjelloun 53)
16 Stevenson yellow card
17 McBride
24 David Wotherspoon
33 Miller
10 Riordan
18 Stokes
Substitutes
21 Smith,
20 Hanlon,
25 McCormack,
08 Cregg,
22 Danny Galbraith,
19 Benjelloun,
29 Byrne
Ref: CollumAtt: 17,126
HEARTS
HIBERNIAN
Possession
Hearts53%
Hibernian47%
Attempts on target
Hearts10
Hibernian4
Attempts off target
Hearts9
Hibernian10
Corners
Hearts9
Hibernian3
Fouls
Hearts12
Hibernian13
Final Result
Full Time
90:00+3:33 The referee blows his whistle to end the game.
90:00+2:50 Shot by Steven Thicot from outside the box goes over the target.
90:00+2:15 Gary Glen concedes a free kick for a foul on Graham Stack. Graham Stack takes the free kick.
90:00+1:28 Free kick awarded for a foul by Ryan Stevenson on Lewis Stevenson. Graham Stack takes the free kick.
90:00+0:42 Foul by Kevin McBride on Ruben Palazuelos, free kick awarded. Eggert Jonsson restarts play with the free kick.
87:27 Ryan Stevenson takes a shot. Save made by Graham Stack. Outswinging corner taken by Andrew Driver, clearance made by Souleymane Bamba.
85:12 Effort on goal by Anthony Stokes from just inside the area clears the crossbar.
84:12 Unfair challenge on Abdessalam Benjelloun by Eggert Jonsson results in a free kick. The free kick is delivered right-footed by Derek Riordan from right channel, clearance made by David Obua.
82:32 David Wotherspoon takes a shot. Save made by Janos Balogh.
81:33 Substitution Laryea Kingston leaves the field to be replaced by Craig Thomson.
80:37 Suso Santana takes a shot. Save made by Graham Stack.
79:37 Corner from the left by-line taken by Derek Riordan, save by Janos Balogh.
78:34 Assist on the goal came from David Wotherspoon.
78:34 GOAL - Derek Riordan:Hearts 2 - 1 Hibernian Derek Riordan fires in a goal from inside the penalty box high into the middle of the goal. Hearts 2-1 Hibernian.
77:31 The assistant referee flags for offside against David Obua. Souleymane Bamba takes the free kick.
77:04 The referee blows for offside. Graham Stack takes the free kick.
76:18 David Obua produces a left-footed shot from just outside the penalty box that misses to the left of the goal.
75:39 Foul by Anthony Stokes on Suso Santana, free kick awarded. Eggert Jonsson takes the free kick.
74:09 Effort from outside the penalty area by Steven Thicot goes wide left of the target.
73:58 The ball is delivered by Abdessalam Benjelloun, save made by Janos Balogh.
73:01 The ball is sent over by Andrew Driver, clearance made by Steven Thicot. Long distance shot from Laryea Kingston misses to the left of the target.
71:41 Shot from just outside the box by Abdessalam Benjelloun misses to the right of the target.
70:57 Free kick awarded for an unfair challenge on Eggert Jonsson by Abdessalam Benjelloun. Free kick taken by Janos Balogh.
70:37 Unfair challenge on Ian Murray by David Obua results in a free kick. Direct free kick taken by Graham Stack.
70:13 The ball is delivered by Laryea Kingston, save by Graham Stack.
68:14 Suso Santana delivers the ball.
67:33 Effort on goal by Abdessalam Benjelloun from just inside the area clears the crossbar.
66:47 Andrew Driver sends in a cross.
65:55 Effort from 12 yards by Andrew Driver. Lewis Stevenson manages to make a clearance.
64:12 Ryan Stevenson takes a shot. Comfortable save by Graham Stack.
63:15 David Obua is ruled offside. Graham Stack takes the indirect free kick.
62:25 Foul by Abdessalam Benjelloun on Jason Thomson, free kick awarded. Free kick taken by Eggert Jonsson.
61:26 Free kick taken by Graham Stack.
61:26 Booking Gary Glen booked.
61:13 Gary Glen is flagged offside by the assistant referee.
60:35 The referee gives a free kick against Suso Santana for handball. Direct free kick taken by Ian Murray.
59:14 Derek Riordan takes a shot. Blocked by Jason Thomson.
57:57 Liam Miller fouled by David Obua, the ref awards a free kick. Free kick taken by Steven Thicot.
57:41 Steven Thicot sends in a cross.
57:03 Handball decision goes against Eggert Jonsson. Direct free kick taken by Derek Riordan.
55:14 The referee gives a free kick against Ian Murray for handball. The ball is crossed by Laryea Kingston, Gary Glen takes a shot. Save by Graham Stack.
54:10 Laryea Kingston produces a cross, save by Graham Stack.
53:21 David Wotherspoon has an effort at goal from outside the area missing to the wide right of the target.
52:42 Substitution John Rankin leaves the field to be replaced by Abdessalam Benjelloun.
51:09 Ruben Palazuelos crosses the ball, Graham Stack makes a save.
50:12 Ruben Palazuelos delivers the ball, Lewis Stevenson makes a clearance. Corner from the right by-line taken by Andrew Driver, save by Graham Stack.
48:34 Eggert Jonsson concedes a free kick for a foul on Liam Miller. Derek Riordan fires a strike on goal direct from the free kick.
47:39 Inswinging corner taken by Andrew Driver from the right by-line played to the near post, Ian Murray makes a clearance. Shot from just outside the box by Suso Santana goes over the bar.
46:17 Suso Santana produces a right-footed shot from inside the six-yard box that clears the bar.
45:37 Jason Thomson sends in a cross, Effort on goal by David Obua from inside the penalty area goes harmlessly over the bar.
45:01 The match restarts for the second half.
Half Time
45:00+4:05 The whistle is blown to end the first half.
45:00+2:15 Derek Riordan sends in a cross, save by Janos Balogh.
45:00+1:50 Corner taken by Derek Riordan from the left by-line, Ruben Palazuelos makes a clearance.
45:00+0:39 The ball is crossed by David Wotherspoon, Derek Riordan challenges Jason Thomson unfairly and gives away a free kick. Janos Balogh restarts play with the free kick.
44:47 Free kick awarded for a foul by Laryea Kingston on Kevin McBride. Direct free kick taken by Ian Murray.
42:31 Ryan Stevenson gives away a free kick for an unfair challenge on John Rankin. Lewis Stevenson crosses the ball from the free kick left-footed from left wing, Janos Balogh makes a comfortable save.
41:14 Jason Thomson gives away a free kick for an unfair challenge on Derek Riordan. Direct free kick taken by Ian Murray.
40:45 Corner from the right by-line taken by Andrew Driver, clearance by Kevin McBride.
39:45 Free kick awarded for an unfair challenge on Eggert Jonsson by Anthony Stokes. Janos Balogh restarts play with the free kick.
39:06 Unfair challenge on Laryea Kingston by John Rankin results in a free kick. Free kick taken by Lee Wallace.
38:07 Jason Thomson fouled by Derek Riordan, the ref awards a free kick. Eggert Jonsson takes the direct free kick.
37:37 Shot from long range by John Rankin goes wide of the left-hand post.
37:10 Eggert Jonsson concedes a free kick for a foul on Ian Murray. Graham Stack takes the direct free kick.
36:36 Corner taken left-footed by Andrew Driver, clearance by Liam Miller.
35:40 Free kick awarded for a foul by Ian Murray on Ruben Palazuelos. Eggert Jonsson takes the free kick.
35:14 Outswinging corner taken right-footed by Derek Riordan from the right by-line, clearance by David Obua.
32:59 Derek Riordan has an effort at goal from just outside the box which goes wide of the right-hand upright.
32:10 Anthony Stokes is flagged offside by the assistant referee. Janos Balogh takes the free kick.
30:58 Free kick crossed left-footed by Andrew Driver from right wing.
30:58 Booking Lewis Stevenson booked.
30:50 Lewis Stevenson is adjudged to have handled the ball.
30:09 Free kick awarded for an unfair challenge on Ryan Stevenson by Kevin McBride. Lee Wallace takes the direct free kick.
29:04 Corner taken left-footed by Andrew Driver from the left by-line, David Obua produces a header from inside the area that goes over the bar.
Correction - 28:59 Corner taken by Andrew Driver from the left by-line, Header from deep inside the area by David Obua goes harmlessly over the crossbar.
28:23 Andrew Driver takes the outswinging corner, Eggert Jonsson takes a shot. John Rankin manages to make a clearance.
27:50 Suso Santana delivers the ball, drilled left-footed shot by Andrew Driver. Blocked by Steven Thicot.
26:43 Eggert Jonsson provided the assist for the goal.
26:43 GOAL - Gary Glen:Hearts 2 - 0 Hibernian Gary Glen finds the back of the net with a headed goal from close in. Hearts 2-0 Hibernian.
26:01 Outswinging corner taken by Andrew Driver, Eggert Jonsson takes a shot.
24:22 Substitution Ryan Stevenson comes on in place of Ian Black.
23:35 Suso Santana provided the assist for the goal.
23:35 GOAL - Andrew Driver:Hearts 1 - 0 Hibernian Andrew Driver gets on the score sheet with a goal from inside the box to the top right corner of the goal. Hearts 1-0 Hibernian.
23:03 Suso Santana takes a shot. Souleymane Bamba gets a block in.
22:29 Foul by Ian Murray on David Obua, free kick awarded. The free kick is delivered right-footed by Laryea Kingston from right wing.
20:47 Andrew Driver concedes a free kick for a foul on Souleymane Bamba. Steven Thicot crosses the ball from the free kick right-footed from right wing, free kick awarded for an unfair challenge on Eggert Jonsson by Souleymane Bamba. Direct free kick taken by Janos Balogh.
18:10 The assistant referee flags for offside against David Obua. Free kick taken by Graham Stack.
16:39 Laryea Kingston has a shot and went wide right of the goal.
10:20 The ball is crossed by Liam Miller, save made by Janos Balogh.
9:12 Anthony Stokes has an effort at goal from outside the penalty area missing to the wide left of the goal.
7:41 Effort from long distance by Laryea Kingston goes wide of the right-hand upright.
6:24 The ball is swung over by Ruben Palazuelos, clearance by Souleymane Bamba.
5:33 Free kick awarded for an unfair challenge on Andrew Driver by Kevin McBride. Direct free kick taken by Ian Black. The ball is crossed by Lee Wallace, Souleymane Bamba makes a clearance. Outswinging corner taken left-footed by Andrew Driver from the left by-line, John Rankin makes a clearance.
2:48 Foul by Dawid Kucharski on Anthony Stokes, free kick awarded. Ian Murray restarts play with the free kick.
1:51 Steven Thicot delivers the ball, clearance by Eggert Jonsson.
1:23 Kevin McBride takes a shot. Blocked by Dawid Kucharski.
0:00 The game gets underway.
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