Hibernian vs Hearts. Scottish Championship.
Easter RoadAttendance14,562.
Sunday 26 October 2014 20:13, UK
Hearts continue to have the edge on derby rivals Hibernian after they earned a dramatic 1-1 draw in stoppage-time at Easter Road.
Alim Ozturk scored a spectacular equaliser in stoppage-time as the 10 men of Hearts, who played the final 11 minutes without Callum Paterson, cancelled out a Dominique Malonga goal just before half-time.
Although Hibernian stretched their unbeaten run in the Scottish Championship to six games, they will feel they should have taken a victory against the league leaders Hearts.
Hibs took a deserved lead when a Scott Allan corner caused serious problems for Hearts who cleared one effort off the line before Neil Alexander clawed the rebound back into the six-yard box where Malonga hooked his shot into the roof of the net.
Paterson was dismissed on 79 minutes for a horrible challenge from behind when he raked his studs down the back of Malonga hamstring.
But just as Hearts looked like losing their first league match of the campaign Ozturk unleashed a dipping drive from 40 yards that beat Mark Oxley and cracked the underside of the bar before bouncing into the roof of the net.
Hearts had an early half-chance when the ball broke back to Prince Buaben after he flicked it inside the penalty area, but Paul Hanlon blocked the shot from 10 yards with an outstretched leg.
But Hibernian should have taken the lead when the unmarked Danny Handling crashed a shot from eight yards too close to Alexander, and the keeper blocked with his left arm.
The visitors had another escape four minutes later when Danny Wilson tried to usher the ball back to Alexander and Jason Cummings knocked the ball to Malonga, who put the ball wide of the unguarded goal.
Allan then tried his luck with a dipping shot from 30 yards which dropped inches wide of Alexander’s left upright.
Hearts then had a golden opportunity when Hanlon misjudged a long clearance and Soufian El Hassnaoui latched on to the ball but sent his shot from the edge of the box straight at the advancing Oxley.
Malonga came close again a minute after the break when his glancing header dropped wide of the far post after he connected with a superb delivery from Allan.
Hearts picked up the pace after that scare and peppered the Hibernian penalty area with dangerous deliveries without creating any clear-cut chances, but when their cause appear forlorn Ozturk rescued an unlikely point.
