Derek McInnes tonight played down growing excitement about Hearts’ impressive start to the William Hill Premiership after the Tynecastle club went five points clear at the top of the table with a 1-0 win over Hibernian at home.
A Craig Halkett strike in the second minute of injury-time clinched a hard-fought victory for the Gorgie side and denied their city rivals a third consecutive league victory over them – a feat they have not managed in over a century.
Defending champions Celtic can reduce their lead to two points again if they defeat Motherwell at Parkhead this afternoon – but there is growing speculation about whether the capital club can be crowned champions come May.
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“There's a lot willing us to do well, but there's also a lot dying for us to fall flat on our faces,” said McInnes. “Let's be honest, there's so many who don't think this is anything other than just a little period here. Listen, it may well be that.
“But we're just concentrating on the game. We’re only seven games in, the league's in its infancy. Whether teams are doing poorly at the minute, or whether teams are doing well, it's far too early to be making any judgements. But we'll enjoy it while it's here. I think there's nothing wrong with the supporters getting excited.
“I think they see the manner in which the team play. They're getting a bit of encouragement from Jamestown Analytics. We've been well backed in the past and continue to be with investment from James Anderson and Tony Bloom
“So the club's on a good footing at the minute. But ultimately it's still about players, it's still about boys trying to win a game of football. We have been good enough so far to win games.
“But you have to be honest, a lot of the games we have had have been tight. We're not blowing teams away 4-0 or 5-0. This Premiership is so tight. There's not a lot between a lot of teams.”
He continued, “Listen, we've had seven league games in, we've had three last-minute winners. You get the elation of that, everybody loves that side of it. But obviously to get it in the derby game is even more pleasing.
“You'd have to say that for long spells in the game it looked like a 0-0. We got away with one with [Martin] Boyle's chance off the bar, but you need a bit of luck in derby games.
“I think the supporters always feel that maybe something is going to happen. We feel that, we always feel as if we're going to get a chance. While we've got that, you get last-minute winners. It becomes a part of what you are. It can be worth so many points, it can be the difference. It is such a beautiful sight seeing Tyncastle like that.”
Asked about Halkett’s dramatic winner, McInnes said, “It was a lovely finish. I need to say, his timing is magnificent. But it was a hard-fought game, there wasn't a lot in it. Hibs are a good side, well-managed with good players. I always thought it was going to be tight. Thankfully we found a way to come out with the three points.”
Hibs manager David Gray was disappointed with how his men, who suffered their first Premiership defeat of the season, defended the goal and admitted the Edinburgh derby loss would hurt them during the international break.
"Unfortunately for us, it's probably the story of our season a little bit,” he said. “We can sit and talk about the game and go through it all, but the reality of the situation is, all the good work you do for 92 minutes is undone in the last second of the game.
"If you look at how the game goes and you think about, we missed our chances. I don't think it was a great game to be honest, but when you actually think about the chances within the game, there wasn't very many.
“I don't think conditions helped with that either, but in terms of how we fix this, it's about taking responsibility and accountability and that's me, firstly.
"Some of the performances have been good. There are a lot of good things being said about the group and a lot of good things being said about us. But the return is not good enough, so that's something that certainly hurts.
"The international break comes at a time where you've not got a game next week to try and put that right. All you can do is go over it, work as hard as ever, as we always do, to make sure we do put it right. We'll have to make sure we start picking up points as quick as we can and we've got the next home game to make sure we start doing that.”
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Gray continued, "I don't think conditions helped. A bit bitty, a lack of quality. I think each goalie had maybe one save each.
"In the second half, I thought we carried the biggest threat and it looked like, if there was going to be a winner, I thought it was going to be us. But all the good work you do is undone in the last second of the game by not seeing out the game. I think the goal we lose is inexcusable.
"It's a really, really poor goal to lose at that stage of the game. But it sums up our season. Creating enough chances, biggest chances of the game, don't take your chances and you get punished at the other end and that's happened too many times.”
