HEARTS and Hibs played out a goalless draw in the first Edinburgh derby of the season this afternoon.
The Tynecastle side brought Jason Thomson in at right-back at the expense of his younger brother Craig, while Merouane Zemmama and SOl Bamba were missing for Hibs.
The two teams virtually cancelled one another out in the opening stages and it took fully 19 minutes before there wany real prospect of a goal, Christian Nade and Arvydas Novikovas combining to set up skipper Michael Stewart for a long-range effort that fizzed just wide of Graham Stack's right-hand post.
The home side came closer in 26 minutes when a corner frmo Novikovas was headed out of the danger aer by Chris Hogg, only for it to fall straight to Ian Black, who unleashed a dipping effort that looked set to test Stack, only for it to tke a deflection off a Hibs player and go behind for
a corner that came to nothing.
Hibs should have tested Janos Balogh as the half-time break appraoched when COlin Nish played a short ball into the patch of Stokes, but the Irishman couldn't get enough on it and it was easy for the Hearts keeper to collect at his right-hand post.
In pictures: Hearts 0 - 0 Hibs
As it happened: Hearts 0 - 0 Hibs
Driver tried to make the breakthrough seconds after tthe restarafter being released by Nade but the Enlishman's effort was easily dealt with by Stack.
They could have scored a spectacular effort just seconds later when Novikovas tired to beat Stack with an overhead kick, but the shot cannoned off Lewis Stevenson instead and way from danger.
Hearts were given time and space to create andother opportunity in 53 minutes when Jason Thomson lofted a ball high into the box, and it fell at exactly the right height for Black, but his glancing header was just inches away from the target.
Black then let fly with a powerful lef-foot effort that seemed certain to hit the back of the net, but Stack was well positioned to save.
Hibs brought Derek Riordan on to replace Benjelloun 11 minutes after the break and went with three up, the Scotland hitman being joined by Nish and Stokes.
The visitors then gave Hearts a scare when Novikovas gave up possession and David Wotherspoon charged forward to the 20 yard maerk and let fly with a thundering shot that took a deflection and came off the base of the post and Riodan was just too far away to beat Balogh to the rebound.
Balogh was called into actino again a couple of minutes later after Stevenson spotted a hole in the Hearts defence to feed Riordan through. The striker gratefully accepted and spun round to get a shot in that the Jambos keeper did well to get down to his right and tip away.
Riordan had certainly made a positive impact on proceedings for Hibs and Balogh again had to be alert to block a cross come shot from the Hibs player after a cross from Liam Miller.
Hearts had claims for a spot-kick turned down in stoppage time when a shot from Gary Glen was spilled by Stack and Jamie Mole went down under a challenge from the keeper as he tried to turn the loose ball home.
Hearts: Balogh, Wallace, Goncalves, Bouzid, J Thomson, Driver, Palazuelos, Black (Obua 73), Stewart, Novikovas (Glen 67), Nade (Mole 79). Unused subs: Kello, Kucharski, Mulrooney, C Thomson.
Hibernian: Stack, Stevenson, *Murray, Hogg, Wotherspoon, *Stokes, Miller, McBride, Rankin, Benjelloun (Riordan 56), Nish. Unused subs: Ma-Kalambay, Cregg, Thicot, Byrne, Galbraith, Hanlon.
Attendance:
