In a fiercely contested Edinburgh Derby at Tynecastle Park, Heart of Midlothian edged city rivals Hibernian 1-0 with a stoppage-time goal, maintaining their perch atop the Scottish Premiership and delivering a bitter blow to the visitors’ hopes of climbing the table.

With the stands packed and expectations soaring, both sides entered the seventh round of the Premiership first phase knowing how much this fixture means—not just for points, but for pride. Hearts enjoyed the lion’s share of possession from the outset, dictating play with 62% of the ball and meticulous passing that kept Hibernian pinned in their own half for long stretches.

The first half, though lively, seldom threatened to boil over. Hearts carved out the better opportunities, but Raphael Sallinger in the Hibernian goal made a pair of crucial saves to keep the contest finely balanced. At the other end, Hibernian’s attacking trio—Kieron Bowie, Martin Boyle, and Josh Campbell—found precious little joy, mustering only a single effort on target all evening.

The match’s intensity was matched by its physicality, with both sides committing 10 fouls apiece and three players booked before the hour mark, as the midfield battle raged. Hearts’ Beni Baningime and Oisin McEntee entered the referee’s book either side of halftime, while Hibernian’s Jordan Obita saw yellow for a rash early challenge.

As the clock ticked into the final quarter, substitutions injected fresh legs, but it appeared neither side would break the deadlock. Hibernian, content to soak up pressure, threatened only sporadically, and Hearts’ patience seemed destined to go unrewarded.

But Tynecastle erupted in the 91st minute. Following a determined push down the right, substitute S. Kerjota found just enough space to curl an inviting cross into the area. Up leapt Craig Halkett—outmuscling his marker—and directed a thumping header past Sallinger to seal all three points for Hearts, sending the home faithful into raptures.

Statistically, Hearts’ control reflected their composure: 11 shots to Hibernian’s 5, with three on target and a pass accuracy of 83%. Hibernian managed just two corners and struggled to string passes together, hitting only 67% accuracy from 291 attempts.

The implications are significant. With this triumph, Hearts extended their unbeaten home run to eight matches and opened up a valuable cushion in the title race. Hibernian, meanwhile, are left searching for answers and still without a win in their last five outings.

For a full visual recap of the derby drama—including Halkett’s decisive header—see the official highlights from Sky Sports Football and SPFL, both of which provided in-depth match analysis and crowd reactions in the hours following the final whistle. Both channels, with large and trusted audiences, offer the most reliable video breakdowns of this pulsating derby.