Fletcher heads home derby winner

Fletcher guided home Alan O'Brien's cross before both sides were reduced to 10 men during more than seven minutes of first-half stoppage time.

Michael Stewart and Christian Nade hit the woodwork for Hearts but Hibs held out to strengthen their top-six hopes.

Hearts' fightback proved too little, too late as Hibs initially dealt with Sol Bamba's red card better than their rivals coped with the dismissal of Janos Balogh.

Hearts had started positively and Stewart sidefooted Andrew Driver's low cross just past the near post before Hibs almost snatched a 10th-minute lead against the run of play.

Derek Riordan cut inside from the left and thundered a 30-yard strike off the post with Balogh motionless but four minutes later they were ahead when Denes Rosa's diagonal ball found O'Brien and the right winger measured a cross over the head of Eggert Jonsson. Fletcher did not catch his header right but the ball looped off his shoulder and over Balogh.

Hearts kept pressing though and Lee Wallace set up Nade with a square pass after a one-two with Ruben Palazuelos, but the striker could not make a proper connection and Rob Jones blocked.

The game then took a dramatic turn. Balogh was the first to go after coming well out of his box to bring down Fletcher, who had been released by Colin Nish's pass from inside his own half.

Referee Charlie Richmond appeared uncertain of what action to take during a long delay as Balogh received treatment, but he got the decision right after consulting his assistant.

Richmond soon evened up the numbers with a more contentious call. Bamba brought down Nade after Stewart had played the ball inside the Hibs defender, and Richmond deemed it a goalscoring opportunity despite the Hearts striker being out wide with Jones and Chris Hogg covering.