Hibernian secured their place in the Scottish League Cup final with an emotional Edinburgh derby triumph over Heart of Midlothian at Hampden Park, earning head coach Marink Reedijk his first victory in charge. The historic result put an end to an agonizing sequence dating back to 2006, during which Hibs suffered four consecutive Hampden defeats against their city rivals. Backed by 19,000 jubilant supporters who belted out "Sunshine on Leith," Reedijk celebrated his maiden success at the fifth attempt to book a December final against Rangers, famously calling for beer and music inside the dressing room.
The victory was built on resilience after Claudio Braga headed Hearts in front just two minutes into the tie. Midfielder and player of the match Joe Newell admitted the early concession threw their game plan out the window, evoking painful memories of the Scottish Cup final 14 years ago when Hearts scored five past them. Hibs dug deep to turn the contest around, holding firm through the final whistle when goalkeeper Raphael Sallinger gathered Jordi Altena's 93rd-minute free-kick, triggering rapturous celebrations while 23,000 maroon-clad Hearts supporters made a hasty exit.
At full-time, boyhood Hibee Jason Kerr fought back tears while Nicky Cadden sang alongside the fans. Newell, who pulled the strings in midfield, praised the extraordinary character shown by the squad, claiming he would have happily absorbed four early defeats to see everything click in such a momentous fixture. Reedijk, despite being a self-described "ice king," soaked in the iconic post-match anthem, yet acknowledged the necessity of stepping back from the lovely atmosphere to make rational decisions moving forward.
While the Hampden ecstasy offered temporary relief, Hibernian must immediately switch focus to their domestic struggles, having dropped to the foot of the Scottish Premiership after Kilmarnock took a point against 10-man St Johnstone. With just two wins from 11 league matches, Reedijk's men face a six-week stretch featuring Aberdeen, both Dundee sides, Motherwell, and Kilmarnock before facing Derek McInnes' Rangers in the league. Newell warned that the team must use this derby win to kick on and climb the table before returning to Hampden on 13 December, where they will chase their first silverware since the 2016 Scottish Cup triumph.