THE last time Hibs hosted Hearts at Easter Road, it felt like a real relegation scrap.
Four months on and Sunday’s Edinburgh derby will be a defining fixture in the battle for third place.
Hibs and Hearts face off once again this weekend and there’s a lot at stake[/caption]
Kris Boyd thinks it could have a huge bearing on the race for third[/caption]
James Wilson’s late goal nicked a point for Hearts on October 27, but both sides were AWFUL.
In all honesty, I feared one of them would be relegated at the end of the season.
It was 12th v 11th and the two clubs deserved to be where they were at that time.
But so much has changed since then and this game has all the makings of a classic.
I was hugely critical of Hibs and Hearts early in the season. They are two of our biggest clubs and should be challenging at the top, not flirting with the drop.
After that horror start, Hearts dumped Steven Naismith for Neil Critchley, while Hibs stuck with their gaffer David Gray.
Both decisions were based on the assumption results would start to change — and they have.
Hibs are now on a 14-game unbeaten run and have really hit form under Gray.
Across the city, Hearts have regained their swagger and finally broken into the top six.
Critchley’s men are only four points behind fourth-placed Hibs and can cut that gap to just one.
Aberdeen are clinging on to third place and Dundee United also have ambitions to finish best of the rest.
Yet for me, the winner at Easter Road will have all the momentum in that battle to finish in third place.
Right now, I expect either Hearts or Hibs to finish there.
Both bosses deserve credit for steering their teams into this position after worrying starts.
There was added pressure on Gray and Critchley to climb the table, not just away from danger, and they’ve delivered.
The capital derby clashes are always popular for neutrals and national team boss Steve Clarke will be watching with interest, too.
If you look at both squads, you immediately see just how influential their contingent of Scottish players have been recently.
Hibs’ striker Kieron Bowie is back after a bad injury and is showing why he’s rated so highly.
I have always liked the Scotland Under-21 striker and his goal in the midweek win against Dundee United was top class.
Bowie uses his physique well, he’s got skill, power and can also finish. At 22, there is still more to come, too.
Josh Campbell scored twice in Hibs’ 2-1 win over Celtic last weekend and is really starting to hit his stride in midfield.
At left wing-back, Nicky Cadden has been such an important figure for Gray in recent months.
Hearts have signed a well- publicised recruitment deal with Jamestown Analytics, but it’s good to see home-grown players still getting a chance.
Jamie McCart, aside from his two own goals against Rangers, has been very good and James Penrice is a standout.
Craig Gordon and Lawrence Shankland remain big players for the Jambos, while teenage striker Wilson is taking everything in his stride.
The 17-year-old is studying for his school exams but will once again be a key player for Critchley at Easter Road.
He scored on his last visit to Leith, so don’t be surprised if he does the same again.
The Hearts hotshot is mature beyond his years and it’s great to see him — and many more — talented Scottish strikers breaking through now.
Wilson and Bobby Wales at Kilmarnock are two players that Scotland boss Clarke will have his eye on for the future.
Bowie is another who looks destined to win a senior cap one day and maybe a strong derby display could even help him force his way into the squad for next month’s Greece double-header.
Good Scottish strikers have been in short supply for too long, so it’s encouraging to see a bunch of them starting to emerge.
We have plenty of good creative players and hopefully those young ones can be a focal point up front before too long.
Bowie and Wilson have the potential to be match-winners, but there are a few of them on both sides.
Elton Kabangu is scoring goals for Hearts and you would never rule out Shankland having a big say at Easter Road.
For Hibs, Martin Boyle always wants to be the main man, but you also have Dwight Gayle and others backing him up.
Behind them, Nectar Triantis might not get a lot of headlines, but he is a level above a lot of his team-mates.
He is good on the ball, he breaks up play and looks to have that extra bit of quality.
In a derby as important as this, Triantis is likely to play a crucial role for Hibs.
But Beni Baningime, his direct rival for Hearts, is also a huge influence for Critchley’s side.
There will be fascinating battles all over the pitch come Sunday.
The threat of relegation for both clubs has long since disappeared and I can see this derby really living up to the hype as they chase third place.
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