The final bragging rights of the season will belong to Edinburgh rivals Hibernian after they condemned us to defeat in the derby at Easter Road on Sunday, which also meant that following on from defeat at Rangers the Sunday prior Hearts have now lost back-to-back away games.
We wanted to go through the season unbeaten away from home, but those hopes ended last weekend at Ibrox but we still had realistic hopes of going through the season without a setback against our rivals – have won once and drawn twice – but that also ended when we were beaten two-nil on Sunday.
We remain well clear at the top of the table, but our lead had been cut to ‘a mere 23-points’ now with a goal-difference of +68 more than double that of either Hibernian or Rangers, in fact you can add the goal-differences of both together and it still falls some 10 short!
As we hadn’t lost against our rivals in a year, and we’ve strolled away with the title this season, it was little wonder we were in buoyant mood ahead of this game and as it got underway but Hibernian dominated, among the chances Paterson headed against his own bar.
Hibernian finally broke through, shortly after Alexander had denied him, through Cummings (30). As we couldn’t clear the danger the Championships top goalscorer grabbed his latest goals with a simple finish.
Only the bar denied Hibernian a second before half time, Fontaine striking the frame of the goal, as the storm was weathered and we had made it into the break just the one-goal down….
Walker finally forced Hibernian ‘keeper Oxley into a first serious save of the game when he tipped his effort over before El Alagui should have doubled the lead but his tame finish was collected by a grateful Alexander as we remained in the game.
Seeking a leveller we pushed more and more men forward, which obviously left us open to the counter-attack, and on one occasion we were almost caught as Malonga broke away but this came to nothing.
After Sow had been denied by a save the game was wrapped up in injury-time when El Alagui (90+1) beat Alexander to make sure.
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