FOR 30 minutes it began to look as though a presenter on a popular Saturday-teatime Scottish football radio show — OK, it was Tam Cowan — had put the granny on the whole thing. Looking ahead enthusiastically to the following day’s Edinburgh derby, he boldly ventured the notion that “something will happen in the first few minutes and then it will go on to be the best game of the season”. Given these two old rivals were meeting for the first time in 10 months to scrap for a place in the quarter-finals of the William Hill Scottish Cup, it seemed a fairly reasonable prediction.

Those inside Tynecastle and the thousands watching live on television duly watched the clock tick towards the 12.30pm kick-off time and awaited a classic to start unfolding. And then? Well, initially not very much. Granted the miserable weather and early injuries on either side did not help the flow of the contest but for the first half-hour or so there was not very much to get excited about. Hibs had a couple of chances and there was plenty of commitment on show but, like many early kick-offs, the game was not really bubbling over as expected. In truth, it was all disappointingly sedate.

And then Hearts scored and we, finally, had the game everyone had been hoping for. For the remaining hour-and-a-bit, it rushed by at an astonishing pace. Hearts scored again just before half-time and Hibs had no option but to emerge after the interval on the front foot. Their boldness eventually delivered a goal with 10 minutes left to play and then their persistence earned them another in the final minute, right in front of their ecstatic supporters.

Blimey, this was now gripping stuff. It still was not over there, with Hibs almost undoing their good work by whacking a clearance off their own crossbar and then clearing another Hearts chance off their line. A draw, though, was the fairest outcome, one that reflected Hearts’ first-half dominance and Hibs’ second-period resurgence.

Suddenly, from looking like it would be the first season since 1998/99 without a capital derby, there was a second one to look forward to next week. The only negative is the replay will not be shown on television due to a UEFA ruling that stipulates that matches cannot be screened at the same time as Champions League ties.

That will come as a great pity to many, including Donald Park.

A prior arrangement in the diary will prevent the Scottish Football Association’s head of coach education — and, more pertinently for this tale, a two-times Hearts player and a three-times Hibs coach — from being at Easter Road when the two great rivals do battle again for a place in the last eight.

Park counts himself fortunate to have been among the near-17,000 packed inside Tynecastle on Sunday as Hearts and Hibs demonstrated just why this remains one of the biggest and most important fixtures in Scottish football.

Park said: “Before the game a few of us were talking about how we had thought we were going to have to go through a whole year without the derby, and how exciting it was to have this one to look forward to. It did not let us down. The players delivered on the park in what were difficult conditions. It was a great game. Hearts scored two terrific goals but fair play to Hibs for battling back in the way that they did.

“There was no doubt Edinburgh — and Scottish football in general — had missed the derby. You could almost feel the excitement in the build-up and even just in walking into the stadium. There was such a buzz that the fixture was back again.

“There were no guarantees it was going to be a classic, of course. There have been quite a few 0-0s in the derby over the years. But the players on this occasion applied themselves and it made for a really exciting encounter, with two teams trying to play passing football.

“It was all positive, unless you are in the Hearts camp as they were in a winning position. They will be annoyed that they did not get it done at the first attempt and you would be hard pushed to pick a favourite for the replay. Hibs are at home but Hearts are currently in the league above them so it should be another cracking tie.”

With his SFA hat on, there were other aspects of the game that pleased Park. Both line-ups included a liberal sprinkling of Scots, with three getting on the scoresheet.

“There were six Scotland under-21s playing in the game which was pleasing from our perspective,” he said. “John McGinn again played very well and going to Hibs has proved a good move for him. He has kicked on again and he seems very comfortable playing there.”

Not since season 1998-99 have Hearts and Hibs found themselves in different divisions — but Park is hopeful that it will prove an anomaly that lasts just the one year. Alan Stubbs’ side will have their work cut out to pip Rangers to the Championship title but the play-offs offer them a second bite of the cherry should they need it.

“It looks like Hibs or Rangers for the league with a big game to come at Easter Road,” said Park. “But if Hibs make it up it would be terrific to have the Edinburgh derbies back on a regular basis. Sunday showed how much they have been missed.”