Hearts pour petrol on title flames by sparking limbs scenes with crazy derby winner to sink Hibs

After 91 minutes of largely ugly, industrial football in the midst of a storm, up stepped Hearts centre-half Craig Halkett to deliver the coup de grace.

Hibs had thought they'd done enough to earn a point. Hearts appeared to have run out of ideas against the previously immovable object that had been Grant Hanley and Co. They had headed and blocked everything that had come their way.

What they hadn't factored in was Craig Peter Halkett, once upon a time a striker as a kid. The now centre-half has seen it all during his six years at Tynecastle - good and bad, serious injuries, relegation and cup finals. This is a glorious moment for the 30-year-old.

As we entered the third minute of stoppage time, Hearts substitute Sabah Kerjota cut back on to his left foot and delivered a tantalising cross that wiped out the Hibs defence. Ghosting in at the back post was Halkett, who steered home a left-footed volley back across goal to leave goalkeeper Raphael Sallinger with no chance.

Chaotic scenes in the stands. Limbs everywhere - except for the 2800-odd Hibs fans stood stony-faced in the Roseburn Stand.

Hearts’ title talk will go on

This derby win - Hearts' first since December 2023, when they also beat Hibs 1-0 with a stoppage-time goal - will do little to quell the early talk of Derek McInnes' men being title challengers. The manager tried to keep a lid on such talk in the build-up to this match and did so again afterwards - but going into Sunday's game between Celtic and Motherwell, the Jambos lead the off-colour champions by five points.

This victory is the sort of thing champions do. Not at their flowing best, Hearts kept going. Truth be told, Hibs looked the likelier to score in the final third of the game after an almighty arm wrestle. But Hearts are a powerful force right now, and this was the third time at an early stage of the season that they scored a stoppage-time winner.

After seven games, they are on 19 points, 11 clear of Hibs. Last season should warn us that the early table means very little, when Hibs went from bottom place to third in five months, but something is stirring at Hearts. Belief is high.

The two Edinburgh clubs approached the derby in very different manners. Hibs wanted to go long as often as possible and bypass the midfield, looking for strikers Martin Boyle and Kieron Bowie to win the physical battle. Only on one occasion did they have a clear scoring chance but when through on goal, Boyle's chip hit the underside of the bar and the moment was gone. He will replay it in his mind on his long flight over to Australia for international duty.

This defeat will really sting for Hibs. For discipline and organisation, they deserved a point. But they didn't take the one big chance that came their way and they go into the two-week international break with much to ponder. They have not won a league match since the opening day of the season and a reset is needed after a gruelling European campaign and then this. The concession of goals so late into matches continues to hurt them.

Hearts tried to move the ball through the phases and looked for overlaps out wide. But hey did little of note in the final third prior to the winner. Claudio Braga had a shot saved by Sallinger, while Alexandros Kyziridis' vicious free-kick was booted away by the Austrian keeper. Every time they got into a dangerous area, they were snuffed out by Hibs' well-organised defence.

Storm Amy has her say

The conditions played a part too. This wasn't an evening for flair players as Storm Amy whipped up a swirling, icy wind. The ball spent a lot of time in the air and being clobbered away by the heads of the centre-halves. Hanley, Jack Iredale and Warren O'Hora of Hibs and Stuart Findlay and Halkett of Hearts were in control.

Perhaps it's fitting then that one of them became a hero. While Kerjota deserves credit for his delivery, the way Halkett peeled away from Chris Cadden and then finished with such composure will mean this derby goes down as his.

Hearts go into the international break in a remarkable place. When McInnes walked into the building at the start of June, where Hearts are right now would have been in his wildest of dreams. They are taking advantage of Celtic and Rangers not being at their best right now.

Talk of winning the title will go on for at least another fortnight. Recent investor Tony Bloom, who made such a statement of wanting it within ten years of his summer arrival and bigged up the chances of splitting the Glasgow duo, will have a wry smile to himself tonight amid the jubilant parties across Gorgie.