Live Commentary: Hearts 0-0 Hibernian - as it happened

Good evening and welcome to Sports Mole's live coverage of the Edinburgh derby between Hearts and Hibernian.

Hibs went into the game hoping to go level on points with second-placed Inverness Caledonian Thistle in the Scottish Premier League, but came away with a draw.

It was a fierce encounter at Tynecastle in which Hearts were unlucky not to win a first-half penalty when James McPake brought down Scott Robinson in the box, but neither side could make the breakthrough.

Find out how the action unfolded in our minute-by-minute live coverage below.

9.42pmThat's all from me tonight. Many thanks for joining us!

9.42pmYou can read our full match report here.

9.40pmCredit should go to Hibs as well. They gave as good as they got for some of the match and this is a big point for them.

9.38pmA frantic end to this Edinburgh derby at Tynecastle. Hearts almost won it at the death when Sutton's header crashed off the bar. The hosts edged the contest and were unlucky not to take three points.

90+3 minFULL-TIME: Hearts 0-0 Hibernian

90+1 minOFF THE BAR! Hearts almost steal it at the death. Walker's corner is headed against the bar by Sutton after Williams misjudges the cross! A let-off for Hibernian in stoppage time.

88 minHearts replaced Driver with Walker moments before that Hibs attack. Apologies for only mentioning that now!

86 minCHANCE! McGowan is the Hearts hero has he makes an essential clearance to preserve the stalemate. Doyle's effort was parried by MacDonald in the Hearts goal and Griffiths would surely have buried the rebound had McGowan not gotten in the way.

82 minCHANCE! Hearts have just come agonisingly close! Holt got in behind the Hibs defence but McGivern back-pedals and produces a vital block to save the day! So close to the opening goal there!

81 minSHOT! Hibs come close at the other end as Griffiths goes for goal direct from a free kick. It curled narrowly wide, taking a deflection along the way. Wotherspoon heads wide from the resulting corner.

79 minCHANCE! Hearts win their 10th corner of the game and Driver finds the head of Zaliukas, whose effort goes over the bar. They've had so many corners tonight but haven't been able to make one count.

77 minIt's been all Hearts in the second period, but derbies can go either way. I get the feeling that one goal will be enough to decide this contest.

74 minHIBS SUBSTITUTION: Stevenson comes on for Taiwo as Hibs look to get off the back foot here.

73 minBOOKING! Wotherspoon is the latest player to go into the book. He is penalised for diving. The visitors are 3-0 up on yellow cards but we're still goalless here.

72 minBOOKING! McGivern goes in late on Driver and picks up a yellow. He flattened the Hearts man there and can have no complaints about the ref's decision.

68 minHEARTS SUBSTITUTION: Paterson on for Novikovas. He has four goals to his name already this season and could be the impact player the Jambos are looking for.

63 minMore pressure from the hosts as Driver crosses in from the left and McGivern puts it behind for a corner. Novikovas takes said corner but Hibs clear the danger.

60 minHearts are piling on the pressure now. Novikovas sends in a corner that eventually finds it way to Taouil, who plays it back into the box, but Williams makes the catch.

56 minBOOKING! Hanlon gets the first yellow card of the night for a late tackle on Novikovas. Tensions are boiling over here at Tynecastle!

55 minHIBS SUBSTITUTION: Cairney's evening comes to an end as he is replaced by David Wotherspoon, the man who forced Zaliukas to turn the ball into his own goal when these two teams last met.

54 minCHANCE! Great chance for Hibs as Cairney plays a measured pass to Doyle who beats the offside trap. His first touch is good but his shot is too high. He should have done better!

49 minCHANCE! The best chance of the game goes begging after Williams spills Taouil's strike into the path of Stevenson at point-blank range. The Hibs keeper recovers to keep the ball out a second time and keep his team level!

48 minHEARTS SUBSTITUTION: Jason Holt replaces Scott Robinson, who I think has suffered a hamstring strain. The lad looks crestfallen to be coming off early in a game of this stature.

46 minHearts go straight on the attack but the move is ground to a halt when an offside flag goes up against Novikovas.

8.49pmHibs get the second half underway.

8.45pmHearts had the better of the possession in the first period - 53% to Hibs' 47% and had more attempts on goal. I think those stats tell the full story. The Jambos have been the better team and look the most likely winners, but anything can happen in football.

8.38pmStevenson could have crippled McPake with the challenge shortly before the half-time whistle, a foul that went unpunished. I think we can expect more of the same no-holds-barred football in the second period.

8.36pmIt's been a poor 45 minutes of football in truth, yet it has been the kind of fierce encounter you would expect from a derby fixture. Hearts should have been awarded a penalty when McPake brought down Robinson but are lucky to have 11 men on the pitch.

45+1 minHALF-TIME: Hearts 0-0 Hibernian

44 minDriver tries a lob from 25 yards and the ball lands on the roof of the net. The replay show he should have had a corner there as it took a slight nick off the Hibs defender on its way over the bar.

41 minCrunching collision between McPake and Stevenson, both players will feel that one in the morning. The Hibs man got the ball first and Stevenson went straight through him! Should have been a booking there I think.

38 minDoyle is dispossessed by Zaliukas and the ball goes out for a Hibs throw deep in the final third, but nothing comes of it.

32 minCHANCE! Driver gets in behind the Hibs defence and shoots from a tight angle, narrowly missing the target. Robinson was hacked in the box by McPake during that move and was unlucky not to win a penalty. A double let-off for the visitors there!

30 minDriver swings another cross into the Hibs area aiming for Sutton, but it's too high for the striker, allowing the visitors to regain possession.

26 minRobinson has a crack at goal from distance, but his effort ends up closer to the corner flag than Williams's goal. Goal kick to Hibs.

24 minSHOT! Doyle's cross from the left is directed towards goal by Cairney but he doesn't get much power behind it. It's an easy save for MacDonald in the Hearts goal.

20 minThe only chance of the game has fallen to Hibs, but Hearts have had the better of the possession and look more likely to make a breakthrough.

15 minSAVE! MacDonald keeps out a free kick from Clancy without too much difficulty. Taouil fouled Deegan to give away the set piece. I get the feeling that indiscipline could be one of these team's undoing tonight!

11 minDriver does well to sling an early cross into the Hibs area. Visiting keeper MacDonald drops the ball but his defence bails him out by clearing the danger.

8 minDoyle brings down Stevenson and is given a tongue-lashing by the ref. It's been a scrappy opening with no clear-cut chances for either team.

6 minTaouil gives away a free kick which Griffiths plays long into the danger zone, but his cross comes off the arm of McPake and the referee awards a free kick to the hosts.

3 minThe first corner of the game goes to Hearts. Stevenson's cross cannons off Clancy and ends up behind. The midfielder takes it himself but Hibs clear the danger.

2 minHibs win an early throw which Clancy takes. He finds Doyle in the Hearts area but the forward overruns it and the ball goes out for a goal kick.

7.48pmHearts get the match underway.

7.45pmThere's an explosive atmosphere here at Tynecastle tonight. Hibs have brought a lot of fans with them, and they're in fine voice this evening. Both teams are out on the pitch now...

7.38pmHibs' record win over Hearts came here at Tynecastle on January 1 1973 when they thumped their rivals 7-0. I just felt I had to mention that after referencing the 5-1 cup final defeat, from which Hibs fans are still smarting.

7.34pmWith the Old Firm now separated by several divisions, this is arguably the biggest derby in Scottish football. There have been some memorable clashes between the two sides over the years, not to mention Hearts' emphatic 5-1 thrashing of their neighbours in last season's cup final.

7.31pmHearts have been less effective in the final third. Callum Paterson, John Sutton and Marius Zaliukas have all scored four times for them this season. The latter of those is always dangerous from dead ball situations, but it was an own goal from him that separated the sides when they last met.

7.28pmLeigh Griffiths is a good shout for first goalscorer tonight for those who enjoy a bet. The Hibs number nine is the SPL's form striker with 14 goals to his name this campaign.

7.25pmI'm going to sit on the fence and say we're in for a score draw tonight. The two sides were tied at 1-1 when they met at Easter Road earlier this season. Hearts may have the home advantage, but Hibs are in good form. I think these two factors will counterbalance each other.

7.24pmMatch odds: Hearts 11/10, Hibs 11/4, draw 5/2.

7.21pmHIBS SUBS: Murdoch, Maybury, Donaldson, Wotherspoon, Stevenson, Handling, Caldwell

7.20pmHEARTS SUBS: Enckelman, Walker, Mullen, Holt, Prychynenko, Smith, Paterson

7.19pmHIBS: Williams, Clancy, McGivern, Hanlon, McPake, Deegan, Claros, Cairney, Taiwo, Griffiths, Doyle

7.17pmHEARTS: MacDonald, Barr, Zaliukas, McHattie, Stevenson, Taouil, Driver, McGowan, Robinson, Sutton, Novikovas

7.16pmRight, the teams are in. Stand by for both sides' starting XIs and subs benches...

7.15pmPat Fenlon: "You have got to go out and enjoy the occasion and what it is about and feed off that, that's certain and going to Tynecastle we should be able to feed off that a bit. "But we also have a plan and we've got to stick to that and if you get too caught up in that then it can go right out the window. "So it is important that we go and play the game and we go and enjoy the occasion. We have a massive support with us, who hopefully will go and enjoy it as well. "So I think you need to try and balance it and take on board what we've asked them to do as a team and go and feed off the atmosphere that will be there."

7.12pmJohn McGlynn: "I think we were a bit unlucky last time round. I thought we were the better team on the night, it wasn't the greatest game but we looked more likely to score. "We want to try and prove a point, get three points which would leave us three points behind Hibs with a game in hand. Considering all the situations we've come through this season, that would be a reasonably good position to be in."

7.11pmWe have some pre-match quotes coming up...

7.08pmPat Fenlon's side will also still be buzzing from their impressive 1-0 victory over champions Celtic in their last league outing. Leigh Griffiths scored the only goal of that game. You can read our report on it here.

7.05pmHibs, one the other hand, are flying high in fourth place and could go level on points with second-placed Inverness Caledonian Thistle with a win tonight. They've already knocked their city rivals out of the Scottish Cup, giving rise to talk of a power shift in Edinburgh.

7.02pmHearts have had a tough time both on and off the pitch this season. Financial turmoil has threatened to engulf the club and John McGlynn's side currently lie ninth in the Scottish Premier League.

7.01pmGood evening and welcome to our live coverage of tonight's Edinburgh derby. There's just under 45 minutes to go until kickoff, but we'll have team news, manager quotes and more for you before then.

Live Commentary: Hearts 0-0 Hibernian - as it happened

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