HEARTS made it 13 goals in two matches with this stunning Division One victory at Easter Road.
Tommy Walker's side Hearts possessed the more resolute defence and were the more clinical of the two teams.
Without any question they were worthy w
inners over the piece, though many observers felt Hibs were decidedly unlucky to be two goals behind after 31 minutes.
Before Hearts scythed through the home defence to rap in two goals in four minutes, Jock Stein's Hibs had been slightly on top, so it was no wonder they were visibly rocked by the rapid blows.
Hearts' third goal, pictured above, was the really crucial one.
Hibs were all set to follow up a brilliant Jim Scott goal, when goalkeeper Willie Wilson blundered and presented Alan Gordon with a simple chance.
It gave Hearts the assurance they needed at that juncture and hit Hibs hard, even if they made it 3-2 soon afterwards.
In suffering their first home defeat of the season, Hibs probably realised that it pays to make the ball do the work.
Pat Stanton and Jimmy Stevenson always carried it into enemy territory, whereas Willie Bolland and Billy Higgins used a more open style to save their legs.
As a result, both Hibs full backs were often under severe pressure, while John Parke had a difficult match.
He couldn't get in a telling tackle on Johnny Hamilton, and his distribution was often slack.
On the whole it was a poor day for the Easter Road back division, with Wilson unusually suspect and John McNamee playing below form, too.
The wet pitch was slippery, but Hearts kept their feet a lot better, especially Gordon.
Hearts' skilful inside left let a Tommy Traynor centre skim off his head for the first goal; he supplied Willie Wallace with the ammunition to fire the second; cracked in the third goal from a Wilson clearance; and had an effort charged down to Tommy White for the fourth. Not a bad day's work.
Jim Cruickshank, Chris Shevlane and Gordon were the Hearts men who impressed most.
Alan Anderson was a solid centre half, although he was guilty of a lot of pushing which referee Tom "Tiny" Wharton allowed to pass on a day when the burly official was not a five-star whistler.
Shevlane supplied the cross for Traynor to head Hearts final goal.
Hibs did not reproduce their best football and perhaps a midweek success in the Cup was responsible for taking the edge off their game.
Jim Scott scored with two first-class headers but, apart from a few contributions from Peter Cormack, he got scant support.
Willie Hamilton and Neil Martin were well held once Hearts took the lead.
Martin's last-minute goal had no effect on the result and probably just as well as it would have posed a lot of controversy, looking suspiciously offside.
To sum up, it was a great advertisement for both Edinburgh clubs.
Hearts were back on the ball, while Hibs had played poorer games and won that season.
Hearts: Cruickshank, Shevlane, Holt, Polland, Anderson, Higgins, Hamilton, Wallace, White, Gordon, Traynor.
Hibs: Wilson, Fraser, Parke, Stanton, McNamee, Stevenson, Cormack, Hamilton, Scott, Martin, Stevenson.
The full article contains 556 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
