DARYL HORGAN WAS the star of the show at Tynecastle Park yesterday afternoon, with the Ireland winger finding the back of the net twice to help Hibernian defeat arch rivals Hearts 2-1.
The 26-year-old is enjoying an impressive debut campaign in Scottish football having moved from Preston North End last July, so far this season scoring seven goals and notching nine assists.
Horgan made his Ireland debut in 2017 under Martin O’Neill, coming on as a second-half substitute in a friendly meeting with Iceland and will hope that his promising form will yield more minutes under new boss Mick McCarthy later this year.
Australian defender Peter Haring gave Hearts the lead on Saturday just before the half-hour mark, before Horgan struck either side of the interval to firstly level proceedings at and then snatch all three points.
The former Dundalk favourite thumped home a sublime winner 10 minutes after the break. A neat exchange of passes on the edge of the Hearts box saw the 26-year-old find the time and space to swing a brilliant left-footed effort into the back of the net.
“Look, the second goal was a lovely move,” he told Hibs TV. “Quick football, sharp, and thankfully I was at the end of it and thankfully it went in.
“But to be fair the first goal was brilliant as well. Sparky [Marc McNulty] gets down the line, puts a perfect ball in and I just have to be there. Thankfully I am and thankfully it goes in, you know.”
Saturday’s 2-1 derby win sees Hibs overtake Hearts in the Scottish Premiership. The side have now risen to fifth place since new manager Paul Heckingbottom took over from Neil Lennon, who took the reigns at Celtic.
“In January we were talking about maybe not making the top six,” said Horgan. “That was a real possibility, but obviously the manager has come in and we’ve gone from strength to strength. We’ve gone eight unbeaten in the league and are playing with confidence, playing well.
“We want to get as high up the table as we possibly can and we’ve games against the teams around us now — everyone will be taking points off everyone and hopefully we can get ourselves up the table a bit more, third, fourth and see how we go from there.”
Horgan in action against Wales during a Uefa Nations League game in September. Ryan Byrne / INPHO
Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO
Horgan said Lennon’s departure was unexpected, but that Hibernian have maintained their form to a point where competing for third or fourth place alongside Kilmarnock and Aberdeen is now a distinct possibility.
“The team was very successful under Neil Lennon as well. It was just that maybe we hit that slump at the time. The team has always been a good side, always going well, it was just hard to understand how it happened or why it happened, but unfortunately it did.
“Whatever happened has happened, the new manager is in and thankfully we’ve gone really well under him. Everyone is enjoying working under him and at the moment we’re flying it.”
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'We're flying it at the moment': Ireland winger Horgan delighted with Edinburgh derby double
DARYL HORGAN WAS the star of the show at Tynecastle Park yesterday afternoon, with the Ireland winger finding the back of the net twice to help Hibernian defeat arch rivals Hearts 2-1.
The 26-year-old is enjoying an impressive debut campaign in Scottish football having moved from Preston North End last July, so far this season scoring seven goals and notching nine assists.
Horgan made his Ireland debut in 2017 under Martin O’Neill, coming on as a second-half substitute in a friendly meeting with Iceland and will hope that his promising form will yield more minutes under new boss Mick McCarthy later this year.
Australian defender Peter Haring gave Hearts the lead on Saturday just before the half-hour mark, before Horgan struck either side of the interval to firstly level proceedings at and then snatch all three points.
The former Dundalk favourite thumped home a sublime winner 10 minutes after the break. A neat exchange of passes on the edge of the Hearts box saw the 26-year-old find the time and space to swing a brilliant left-footed effort into the back of the net.
“Look, the second goal was a lovely move,” he told Hibs TV. “Quick football, sharp, and thankfully I was at the end of it and thankfully it went in.
“But to be fair the first goal was brilliant as well. Sparky [Marc McNulty] gets down the line, puts a perfect ball in and I just have to be there. Thankfully I am and thankfully it goes in, you know.”
Saturday’s 2-1 derby win sees Hibs overtake Hearts in the Scottish Premiership. The side have now risen to fifth place since new manager Paul Heckingbottom took over from Neil Lennon, who took the reigns at Celtic.
“In January we were talking about maybe not making the top six,” said Horgan. “That was a real possibility, but obviously the manager has come in and we’ve gone from strength to strength. We’ve gone eight unbeaten in the league and are playing with confidence, playing well.
“We want to get as high up the table as we possibly can and we’ve games against the teams around us now — everyone will be taking points off everyone and hopefully we can get ourselves up the table a bit more, third, fourth and see how we go from there.”
Horgan said Lennon’s departure was unexpected, but that Hibernian have maintained their form to a point where competing for third or fourth place alongside Kilmarnock and Aberdeen is now a distinct possibility.
“The team was very successful under Neil Lennon as well. It was just that maybe we hit that slump at the time. The team has always been a good side, always going well, it was just hard to understand how it happened or why it happened, but unfortunately it did.
“Whatever happened has happened, the new manager is in and thankfully we’ve gone really well under him. Everyone is enjoying working under him and at the moment we’re flying it.”
Subscribe to our new podcast, The42 Rugby Weekly, here:
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Daryl Horgan Hibernian Irish Abroad Reaction Scotland Scottish Premiership