Hearts boss wants rivals in the top six

JIM JEFFERIES is backing Hibs in their late challenge for an SPL top-six place because he wants a fourth Edinburgh derby during the final weeks of the season.

The Hearts manager has enjoyed a 100 per cent record against his club's city rivals since returning to Tynecastle over a year ago. Hearts have managed four wins in four derby encounters over the last 12 months and Jefferies is keen to maintain the dominance.

The clubs are due to meet at Easter Road on Sunday, April 3, but if Hibs fail to achieve a top-six finish then that fixture will be the final derby of the season. Jefferies is keen for them to reach the upper half of the league table and ensure another high-octane encounter at Tynecastle after the SPL split.

"Their run has put them back in contention and good luck to them if they get back in the top half, it will be another derby to look forward to," he said. "It would be good for both clubs. I think, if we play them in the top six, the game will be at Tynecastle. They are great games to look forward to."

Jefferies also threw his support behind the Hibs manager Colin Calderwood, who won February's Clydesdale Bank SPL Manager of the Month award and has overseen a sequence of five wins and a draw from the last six matches.

"Colin was getting criticised after half a dozen games or so but he needed a chance to assess things and he picked up a few good signings when the transfer window came around," explained Jefferies. "They've blended well, they got a couple of results and you could see the confidence coming back. He fully deserved to get that reward as it's not easy to win so many games on the spin."