Hibernian ended a long wait for victory over city rivals Hearts at Hampden with a dramatic Scottish League Cup semi-final win on Sunday. The result secured a place in next month's final against Rangers and gave head coach Marink Reedijk his first victory in charge after five matches.
The triumph also brought an end to Hibs' difficult record at the national stadium against Hearts. The Edinburgh club had lost each of their previous four visits since 2006, making the celebrations among the 19,000 travelling supporters particularly significant.
Hibs had to respond after Claudio Braga headed Hearts in front early in the match. Joe Newell admitted the goal initially prompted fears that history could repeat itself, recalling Hearts' five-goal victory over Hibs in the Scottish Cup final 14 years ago.
Instead, Hibernian showed the resilience and determination that Newell felt made the performance especially impressive. The midfielder was named player of the match and helped control the game after the early setback. A late deep free-kick from Jordi Altena was gathered by Hearts goalkeeper Raphael Sallinger in the 93rd minute, prompting an emotional reaction from the Hibs players and supporters.
Reedijk joined in the celebrations and enjoyed Hibs' anthem, Sunshine on Leith, but acknowledged that he must now take a more measured approach. Hibernian remain at the bottom of the Scottish Premiership and have won only two of their last 11 league matches.
The club faces a demanding run of fixtures before the final. Hibs travel to Aberdeen on Saturday, then host Dundee and Dundee United before away matches against Motherwell and Kilmarnock. They will also welcome Rangers to Easter Road in their final league match before the cup final.
Newell said the victory should provide confidence but warned that Hibernian must maintain their momentum. He described the semi-final as feeling so important that players could momentarily forget another major match was still ahead.
Hibs will return to Hampden next month seeking their first trophy since defeating Rangers in the 2016 Scottish Cup final. The final is scheduled for 13 December, giving Reedijk's side six weeks to turn their derby success into a stronger league campaign.
Sources: BBC Sport Football.