Dwight Gayle stepped off the bench to earn resurgent Hibernian a third William Hill Premiership victory in succession and their first away win over city rivals Hearts for exactly five years.

The 35-year-old former Crystal Palace and Newcastle striker revealed last Friday that he planned to retire at the end of this season, but he showed he still has plenty to offer before then as his close-range finish secured a wildly celebrated 2-1 triumph at Tynecastle.

The match was level at the break after own goals from Hearts defender Kye Rowles and his Hibs counterpart Rocky Bushiri, but David Gray’s men were able to find the edge in the second half and move five points clear of the Jambos in the bottom half of the table.

The Easter Road side had won only one of the previous 15 Edinburgh derbies and had not tasted victory at Tynecastle since Boxing Day 2019, when Martin Boyle scored twice in a 2-0 success.

Craig Halkett – the only remaining Hearts player who featured in that match – came into the starting XI alongside Beni Baningime as Adam Forrester and Malachi Boateng dropped out from the side that started Sunday’s 2-1 win over St Johnstone.

Hibs were unchanged from the team that made it back-to-back league victories for the first time in more than a year away to Aberdeen on Saturday.

Hearts threatened in the opening minute when Musa Drammeh glanced wide from a James Penrice cross.

But Hibs soon settled into the game and they took the lead in the 10th minute when Halkett’s attempt to head clear Nicky Cadden’s corner ricocheted off the face of his fellow defender Rowles and found the net off the underside of the bar.

The goal was initially ruled out by the on-field officials for offside against Bushiri – who had been standing in the line of sight of Hearts goalkeeper Craig Gordon before moving away – but then allowed to stand after a lengthy VAR check.

Hearts tried to summon a response and Drammeh saw a header from Blair Spittal’s cross held by Jordan Smith.

Hibs had their tails up, however, and threatened to add to their lead. Cadden saw a low strike from just inside the box saved by Gordon and then scrambled away.

The Hearts keeper pulled off a brilliant save in the 22nd minute when he spread himself just inside his six-yard box to stop Chris Cadden firing home Boyle’s cutback.

Gordon then had a further two big blocks in quick succession around the half-hour mark as he clawed out a Campbell header from Joe Newell’s cross before beating away a ferocious angled strike from Elie Youan.

Hearts started to find their way into the game as the interval approached and they equalised in first-half stoppage time when Spittal’s deep, hanging cross from the left was nodded back into the danger area by Lawrence Shankland and Bushiri – under pressure from striker James Wilson – sliced his attempt clearance from just inside the six-yard box into his own net.

Hibs were entitled to feel frustrated at not going in ahead at the break, but they were back in front in the 78th minute when Nicky Cadden’s cross from the left was flicked on by substitute Gayle from six yards out.