Heart of Midlothian fought back to claim a dramatic victory over nine-man Hibernian in a chaotic Edinburgh derby, moving three points clear at the top of the Scottish Premiership.
Hibernian made a flying start as Martin Boyle fired them into the lead early on, sparking a lively atmosphere at Easter Road. However, the game quickly turned against the hosts when goalkeeper Raphael Sallinger was sent off for handling outside his area, leaving Hibs with 10 men. Their situation worsened shortly after the break when Felix Passlack received a second yellow card, reducing them to nine players.
Despite the numerical disadvantage, Hibs defended bravely, with substitute goalkeeper Jordan Smith producing a string of saves to keep Hearts at bay. Hearts also struck the woodwork through Marc Leonard as they piled on pressure.
The resistance was eventually broken when Hearts forced an equaliser, with the ball ending up in the net via a defensive mix-up involving Warren O'Hora, resulting in an own goal.
With momentum on their side, Hearts pushed for a winner and found it late on when Blair Spittal struck, his effort taking a deflection on its way in to seal the comeback.
The win restores Hearts’ advantage at the top of the table, strengthening their title charge after a dramatic weekend in the race.
