Derby duo earn their fair share

Unfortunately for Hibs

newcomer Didier Agathe, the chance he squandered had the fans talking all the way home night. He will not forget rounding Hearts' Antti Niemi and then mis-hitting his shot towards an empty goal and allowing Flogel time to get back and clear.

It was a capital Sunday afternoon and, if the fare was a bit short of capital, the crowd loved it and it all ended just about right.

In a typically tough-tackling, greased-lightning derby, each side had a spell of supremacy; each side could argue a case for victory; and each in the end went home quietly content.

The best players were in defence, where Franck Sauzee was magnificent and not far behind him was his new team-mate, Paul Fenwick. Steven Pressley and Gary Naysmith were excellent for Hearts and with both goalkeepers in splendid form, Nick Colgan for Hibs and Antii Niemi for Hearts, the chances of a goal feast were remote.

Indeed, though there was no score, there were opportunities, none easier than the one missed in front of an open goal by the new Hibs striker, Frenchman Didier Agathe. ''I tried to hit it with my right foot when I should have hit it with my left,'' said the Frenchman with a wry smile afterwards.

Despite that, the former Raith Rovers man did well enough, and so did some of the other entertainers, like Russel Latapy and Juanjo, but it was a day for the brawny rather than the subtle.

The 17,132 at Tynecastle had a great time, even if one of them, from the Hibs end, was arrested after Niemi was hit with a plastic cup.

Hearts could point to injury and suspension - Stephane Adam was hurt and Darren Jackson suspended - as legitimate reason for their failure to score, but deputy striker Scott Severin did a worthy job and it was through no fault of his that the score sheet remained blank.

It may have been a new beginning, but the ferocity of the capital derby was as shuddering as ever. The tackles flew in too high, too late, and wild but gradually the teams got around to the main business and for a spell it was the home side that did most of the attacking.

Gary Smith flirted with fate when he knocked over Steve Fulton on the edge of the box and was relieved that the referee gave the free kick, rather than the penalty.

Andy Kirk had a try soon after but the first near thing came when a corner from the left was headed firmly towards goal by Severin, who was denied by a block from Gary Smith. The ball broke to Kirk, who hit it outside a post.

The Tynecastle attacks grew in number and danger as the crowd urged them on. They had some claim for a penalty when another fine header by stand-in striker Severin was blocked by a defender, this time Mathias Jack, who may have involuntarily used a hand, but the referee acted sensibly by letting play go on.

Hearts were genuinely unlucky later when Juanjo struck the ball well from outside the crowded area, Severin touched it on, and the ball hit a post, with Colgan unsighted.

Hibs, who had hardly been seen as a forward threat, had the ball in the net in 28 minutes after a Latapy cross was nodded on by Mixu Paatelainen and Agathe finished off the move by knocking the ball over the line. However, the former Raith Rovers man was clearly offside.

The Easter Road side had another chance when Danish newcomer Ulrik Laursen pushed the ball in to Paatelainen who could not control it quickly enough and was robbed by Pressley.

Hibs had come into the game in a big way by now and a Paatelainen header over the bar was further evidence that the pattern had altered.

However, Hibs missed a glorious chance after Agathe had beaten Pressley to a long ball. With the defender on the ground, he went around the keeper and the open goal beckoned before him. The new man inexplicably tried a casual side-foot touch, which he did not hit properly, and Flogel raced back to clear the ball at the far post.

From the corner, Niemi made a superb save from his Finnish countryman, Paatelainen.

Despite all the furore, the first booking did not come until just after the break, when Gary Smith had his name taken when he fouled Severin.

Hibs' ascendancy seemed to be continuing when a superb Sauzee free kick was brilliantly saved by Niemi, who touched it over the bar.

However, Hearst came back and Kirk very nearly got an outstretched leg to a low cross by Naysmith, which needed only a touch to go into the net.

Colin Cameron was booked after a trip on O'Neil, although the Hearts captain protested his innocence vehemently.

Hearts were raising their game again and it needed a couple of interventions by the marvellous Sauzee to keep them at bay.

In 67 minutes, Tom McManus replaced Agathe, to a welcome roar from the crowd.

However, it was Sauzee again who came to Hibs' rescue with smart defending.

Hearts decided it was time, in 71 minutes, to make a change, bringing on Gary McSwegan for Kirk. Then Severin forced Colgan into a good save with a header from 10 yards.

Tom Smith was next to be shown a yellow card before Hearts brought on Fitzroy Simpson for Fulton. Severin did well with an overhead kick but Colgan was alert enough to save comfortably.

Then, McManus was in with a chance after Latapy and then Jack laid on a pass for him inside the area but Naysmith was very quick to race in and rob the young striker.

The pressure grew on both sides as the game went into its last quarter as illustrated by the booking for O'Neil with a panicky foul on Cameron. The Hearts captain was urging his men on and led by example when he took a pass from Severin and hit a fine shot that brought out an equally fine save from Colgan.

Then it was Severin's turn as he shot form an acute angle and was frustrated to see his shot hit the post and bounce out to safety.

Hearts continued their final push which forced Paul Fenwick into a foul on Juanjo but the free kick that followed was wasted.

They were even more frustrated in the dying minutes, however, when first Colgan had a great save from Naysmith and then held the diving header from the rebound by McSwegan.

Next league matches: Hearts v St Johnstone (a); Hibernian v Dundee United (h).