Hibs beat Hearts at Hampden to reach Scottish League Cup final
Hibernian beat Heart of Midlothian at Hampden on Sunday to reach the Scottish League Cup final, handing new head coach Marink Reedijk his first victory at the club after five matches in charge. The players and supporters celebrated with a rendition of Sunshine On Leith and Reedijk’s wish for “I want music, I want beer,” shared in an official Hibernian video outside the dressing room.
Fans sang loudly after a turbulent start to the season that has included missing out on European qualification, a run of poor home form and a managerial change. Hibs had not beaten Hearts at the national stadium since 2006, a sequence of four visits that previously ended in victory for the Jambos, and around 19,000 travelling supporters backed the team on Sunday. Reedijk, who describes himself as the “ice king,” said “I love these kind of things” but also called for “rational decisions” and to remove himself from the “lovely atmosphere.”
The match began badly for Hibs when Claudio Braga opened the scoring with a header early on, prompting player of the match Joe Newell to recall the moment: “Oh no, here we go,” he said. Newell added that “The game plan was out the window” and conceded “It's not ideal, is it? You go to bed [on Saturday night] thinking of all the scenarios and the way you dream and imagine the game is going to go and then, after two minutes, they score.”
Hibs recovered and Newell, who said “I would have taken four losses if this was the way it clicked,” played a leading role as the team threatened repeatedly thereafter. Defenders and midfielders combined to steady the side and create openings, and Nicky Cadden and Jason Kerr were among the players seen celebrating intensely after full-time. Kerr, a boyhood Hibee, was visibly moved while Cadden led supporters in song.
A late moment at Hampden saw Jordi Altena’s deep free-kick in the 93rd minute end in goalkeeper Raphael Sallinger's hands and spark a fresh roar from the Hibs end that “shook the steps” where Hearts fans were already preparing to leave. The report noted that all 23,000 Hearts supporters were present in the ground and that the scenes of Sunshine On Leith being sung would be treasured by Hibs supporters.
The victory sets up a final against Rangers next month, with the showpiece described as six weeks away and a home league fixture before the final framed as a dress rehearsal at Easter Road when Hibs welcome Derek McInnes' side. The club are aiming to win their first piece of silverware since beating the Ibrox side in the 2016 Scottish Cup final.
Hibs must also address league form, having recorded just two wins in 11 games; their immediate schedule includes a trip to Aberdeen on Saturday — Aberdeen having lost in Saturday's semi-final — followed by home matches against both Dundee clubs and away games at Motherwell and Kilmarnock before the December fixture at Easter Road. Newell said: "It's huge" and urged his team: "We have to kick on now," with the League Cup final scheduled against Rangers on 13 December.
