Irish midfielder Gary Deegan showed exactly what he brings to Easter Road with bullish derby display in Edinburgh derby

An aggressive, box-to-box player was how the Irish  midfielder had described himself as he became Hibs boss Pat Fenlon’s seventh summer signing and he didn’t fall short of that self-assessment as he hauled on a green-and-white shirt for the first time.

Ninety minutes was all it took for the 24-year-old to win himself a whole new army of fans, the type of player those supporters have been calling out for in the middle of the park, having seen their side bullied and outmuscled by their  Capital neighbours on too many  occasions in recent years.

Jambos boss John McGlynn may have accused his players of complacency, feeling some felt they need only turn up to secure another win in the first derby since Hearts’ 5-1 rout of their city rivals in the final of the William Hill Scottish Cup, but that was to overlook  the steely determination of Fenlon’s side.

And it was perhaps that willingness to get in the faces of their opponents, to stand toe-to-toe and slug it out rather than the meek capitulation of previous derbies which caught McGlynn’s players by surprise as they retreated to Gorgie, McGlynn thankful for the point they’d taken rather than basking in the fact the men in maroon had extended their unbeaten run over Hibs to 12 matches.

It’s been a long time since a sense of disappointment at having to settle for a draw with Hearts has pervaded the atmosphere at Easter Road but, as welcome as a first point of the season was for Fenlon’s side, there was also no getting away from the feeling that they’d let their arch-rivals off the hook for once.

While derby results define a season for many fans, it is, of course, results over the entire course of the season which  dictate final positions, Hibs seeking to restore their much-battered pride after finishing tenth and then 11th in the  previous two years.

To that end, the weekend result has lifted spirits, not least among the supporters, embuing them with a renewed sense of cautious optimism, the last vestiges of which seemed to have disappeared entirely following that 3-0 defeat by Dundee United on the opening day of the season.

And it also gave them a greater  belief that Fenlon’s rebuilding project has, at least, strong foundations, seven of those who started, Ben Williams, Tim Clancy, James McPake, Alan Maybury, Deegan, Paul Cairney and January signing Eoin Doyle, have been recruited by the new manager who intends to bring further new faces to the club before the transfer window shuts at the end of the month.

A team containing so many newcomers will, understandably, take time to gel but, Deegan insisted, togetherness was the secret behind what many saw as a “moral” victory for Hibs. The former Coventry City midfielder said: “We were all singing from the same hymn sheet. We did everything right, we showed a determination that we want to put things right.

“We had a chat during the week and we stuck to our game plan. Everyone worked hard, not just two or three, but all eleven.”

Even so, Hibs’ resolve was tested when they gifted Hearts an opener at a time when they appeared to be on top, former Tynecastle defender Maybury, having made his move to Easter Road just 48 hours earlier, was woefully short with a headed pass back to goalkeeper  Williams, allowing Andy Driver to sneak in and score.

Rather than crumble, though, Fenlon’s players hit back, Griffiths crashing a shot against Jamie MacDonald’s right-hand post with the goalkeeper beaten before the on-loan Wolves striker toe-poked David Wotherspoon’s perfectly-timed pass into the net for an equaliser on the stroke of half-time.

Deegan said: “We were more than holding our own when a simple mistake was made. But we did not get too down about it, instead we showed great character to get back into the match and we did so.

“It would have been easy losing a goal as we did having been on top to feel sorry for ourselves but we brushed ourselves down and got on with it. Scoring right on half-time was important, it gave us a good bit of belief. It was definitely a poor mistake, it shouldn’t have happened but these things do happen in football. Alan didn’t have to say anything to us, the way you have to view it is that it was his mistake but our mistake.”

While fully aware it will take a few more days like that to convince a support who have seen the promise of so many new dawns evaporate over the past couple of years, Deegan believes that so long as they see honest toil on the park, they’ll soon be in a cheerier mood.

He said: “I think when the fans see you working hard they get right behind you. We had a few good performances, James McPake ensured John Sutton hardly got a sniff, Tim Clancy was good, Ben Williams was vocal and Leigh Griffiths gave them a lot of problems as well as his goal.

“We also saw two young lads in Danny Handling and Ross Caldwell come in and hold their own but in the end we were disappointed not to win.”

Deegan, though, feels Sunday’s performance can kick-start Hibs’ season. He said: “We are a work in progress, there’s still a lot of work to be done but hopefully we can continue to get better.” Just as Fenlon’s side remains a work in progress so, too, does Deegan feel he falls into the same category. He said: “I was pleased to last the 90 minutes. I hadn’t played a full game since the end of last season but the more matches I get then I’ll improve again.”

Deegan did pick up an early yellow card for a foul on Hearts winger David Templeton but although some felt he perhaps flirted with a second booking at times, he insisted he was very much in control of the situation, saying: “I think I am a bit too experienced now to be rash.”