Hibs star Kevin Nisbet in 'battered Hearts' assessment, 10-in-a-row admission and 'change that' goal belief

Hibs’ goal-scoring hero Kevin Nisbet believes his side “absolutely battered” Hearts in Saturday’s 1-0 success at Easter Road – and should have won by more.

Lee Johnson’s men were deserved winners in Leith, a result which keeps them well in the hunt to finish third albeit they are still required to secure their place in the top six when they travel to McDiarmid Park to face a St Johnstone side who have won just twice this year.

Nisbet’s second-half strike to down their capital rivals ended a four-game losing run in the Premiership and a nine-game run without a win in the Edinburgh derby.

"I think even in the first half we absolutely battered them,” he said. “It is probably the most we've battered Hearts in a while. I just thought we were up for it, we were on second balls, playing in behind, we were bullying them. To see it out was great.

"I think it's a game which can take us upwards. We were on a bad losing run of four games but it was a good one to bounce back to, now the focus is on St Johnstone.”

For Nisbet, who has missed a large chunk of this season, as well as the end of last, it was a huge moment to come up with the winner. One which he told himself he was going to score after the 3-0 loss to Hearts in the Scottish Cup and it was one he felt he was going to score as the game progressed.

“It was nice to get it off our backs,” he said of the recent derby record. “The last time we played them in the Scottish Cup their fans were shouting about 10 in a row. I felt embarrassed, to be honest. I just thought, when the next derby comes around I’m going to change that – and I did.

“I thought I should have probably had a couple on Saturday, a few I should have nicked but I just had that feeling the full game, the way I started the game, I thought I was playing really well and had that feeling I was going to score the winner.”