Joe Newell sets Hibs derby dominance target as midfielder seeks to thrive off Hearts fans abuse

Joe Newell has experienced enough Edinburgh derbies to witness punters frothing at the mouth in the stands. It’s been known in the not too distant past for the dug outs to get in a bit of an angry lather too.

But the Hibs playmaker is adamant that the time has come to leave the Jambos bubbling on their own turf. More than that, the Englishman wants to turn the tide of derby despair on Hearts to become the dominant force in Auld Reekie and leave their arch rivals fizzing. Newell and his team mates head across the city looking for a first win on enemy territory since Boxing Day 2019 - ironically his first taste of the capital clash.

That 2-0 victory left the midfielder expecting to win every time the two locked horns. Yet it’s only come once in the 11 games since. May’s demolition derby - when the two sides were embroiled in a outrageous touchline tear-up - came close to ending that gloomy run in Gorgie but Hibs had to settle for a draw against 10-man Hearts. But with a new regime led by Nick Montgomery looking to make a statement, Newell is confident they can jump their hosts in the table with a first victory at Tynecastle in almost four years.

He said: “Yeah that was the Martin Boyle double game, wasn't it? I probably thought it was going to happen every time. It’s been too long since we won there. We’ve had a couple of draws, then they had their year in the Championship.

“Now we’re under a new regime, new management, we want to look at being dominant, definitely. It would mean a lot to win there. It’s no big deal in terms of our goals for the season but we want to win – and we expect to win.

“Our focus is on three points and getting the bragging rights we get there. When you get there on match day, I don’t know, you