Hibs Women will host the first Edinburgh Derby of the season at Easter Road tonight.
Hibs had picked up four wins from four to start the season prior to taking on league champions Celtic in Airdrie on Friday 30 August.
While the winning streak came to an end, the girls still kept their impressive unbeaten run going with a 0-0 draw against Elena Sadiku’s side.
The solid performance puts the Club in second-place – ahead of Celtic on goal difference and just two points behind Rangers.
Hearts have also started the 2024/25 league season in good form – losing just once so far.
That defeat was a narrow 2-1 away loss to Glasgow City and has been well-countered by four thrashings of Queen’s Park, Spartans, Dundee United and Motherwell.
Hibs Head Coach Grant Scott insists his side’s “preparations remains the same” despite a “buzz” pulsating through the Hibs camp ahead of this week’s Capital Cup clash at Easter Road.
“It’s nice to be here,” Scott told Hibs TV at the stadium.
“I don’t know how many times I’ve managed here now, but it’s always a special occasion.
“There is a few more fans than normal against your city rivals. I’m really looking forward to it now.
“I think we are in a good place as a group.
“We are happy with our start to the season. It’s another three points we are looking to secure.
“We are fully focused on the performance on Friday night and we will see where that takes us.”
With both Hibs impressing early on in the SWPL season, Scott admits he would like to see his side push on and challenge those at the top.
“I think we have to aspire to catch the teams above from last year. We ran a few of them close in games last season.
“We’ve had a favourable performance against on Friday past [versus Celtic]. Hearts did that last season by taking points from the Old Firm.”
To challenge at the top, a reputation boost would never hurt an ambitious club looking upwards – something the Hibs boss hopes ‘spectacles’ like Friday night can bring to Hibs Women.
“There is a lot of evolution happening in the game – especially across the last few years, in particular. And long may it continue.
“Driving into the event this morning and hearing the advertisement on radio, the game is being well pushed by both clubs now.
“It is a fixture that warrants it – male or female. We need to promote it as best we can and make it a spectacle when it comes to match day.”
Hibs midfielder Linzi Taylor will potentially make her first Derby appearance in Hibs colours.
“It’s exciting,” Taylor told Hibs TV.
“Even in previous weeks we have had a buzz about us, but this gives us that extra buzz.
“The changing room is buzzing. It should be a great day.
“The pitch is immaculate and it should be a great night to play some good football.
“It’s always an added incentive [to beat your rivals] but the main priority for us is the three points
“We have got a confidence and a desire about the team – an ambition – that if we go and implement our game plan there is no reason we can’t take the three points on the night.
“Hearts are a powerful team. They have got big players who are good on the ball.
“They are a very confident footballing side. It’s more the work off the ball they may need to be more disciplined in.
“You look at the stadium. The grass is perfect.
“It’ll be a good viewing for anybody coming to watch. Get the ball down and play football.
“Hearts are a good footballing side, but so are we.”
The Capital Cup will kick off at 7.35pm.
Thanks to the generous support of Baillie Gifford, match tickets are free.
Both clubs will work with local community groups to ensure that the broadest cross-section of communities can get involved, fostering greater inclusion and diversity in Scotland’s national game.
Tickets can be collected from the ticket office or booked online with the option to include a £1, £3, £5 or £10 donation – with the full amount being reinvested back into supporting the Hibernian Girls and Women’s Academy through the Hibernian Community Foundation.
The game will be broadcast live online via the BBC website.
John graduated from Telford College in 2010 with an HNC in Practical Journalism and since then he worked for the North Edinburgh News, The Southern Reporter, the Irish News Review and The Edinburgh Reporter. In addition he has been published in the Edinburgh Evening News and the Hibernian FC Programme.
