HIBERNIAN head coach Alan Stubbs feels “anything is possible” for his spirited team after they came from two goals down with 10 minutes to go against Hearts at Tynecastle to force a William Hill Scottish Cup replay.

Hibs started well in the fifth-round clash but great strikes from Arnaud Djoum and Sam Nicholson put Hearts in control before half-time. However, the visitors forced Hearts back for most of the second half, kept plugging away and got a goal back when Jason Cummings looped a brilliant header into the top corner after 80 minutes.

Paul Hanlon then scrambled home an injury-time equaliser after Neil Alexander had stopped Darren McGregor’s header.

The character of Hibs teams has been questioned in recent times following their relegation and several Hampden disappointments, but the comeback is further proof they are confounding the doubters, added to their consistent form in the Ladbrokes Championship and League Cup semi-final win over St Johnstone.

Stubbs said: “It doesn’t tell me anything because I already know it. It’s other people who question it. I have said all along I have 100 per cent belief in this team. I enjoy coming to work, I enjoy being around them, I enjoy their company, believe it or not.

“They have a brilliant team spirit. They have a fantastic bonding. And when you have that and, most importantly, ability, then anything is possible.

“They keep answering the questions. They don’t know when to lie down. There is a lot of fight in there. And the support were fantastic.”

Stubbs felt the replay a week tomorrow was just reward for his team. Asked his main feelings on yesterday’s outcome, he said:“Probably satisfied in the end because I thought the least we deserved out of the game was a draw.”

Stubbs added: “I came in at half-time wondering how we were 2-0 down. The first goal was a good strike but I felt we should have defended the second a bit better.

“At half-time we spoke about how important the next goal was. We felt we could get something out of the game if we got it and so it proved.

“I thought in the second half we were fantastic. We pinned back a really good Hearts team for the majority of the half.”

Hearts head coach Robbie Neilson was frustrated at his team’s late collapse but still able to look at the positives.

Neilson said: “I expect them to defend a 2-0 lead and to lose two poor goals at the end is disappointing, but it’s happened. If the shoe was on the other foot we’d be delighted but the outcome is the same.

“It’s another derby game, another money-spinner for both clubs, and a big one for the fans and you guys [the media]. Another full house, another game on TV.

“So, if we can get through that then it’s even better than winning it first time.

“We’ll have [Igor] Rossi back from suspension, we’ll have [Jamie] Walker back in and [Abiola] Dauda up to match speed so we will go there stronger than we were today.”

Neilson felt injuries hampered his side, although Hibs were forced into taking off Dylan McGeouch and David Gray.

He said: “We had a couple of guys carrying knocks right through, Nicholson and [Miguel] Pallardo, but because we had to take [Prince] Buaben, [Alim] Ozturk and Djoum off, we didn’t have an opportunity to change it.”

“I think that had a little bit of a bearing on the game but I have played in these derbies and it’s never over until it’s over. Especially in a cup game, when you’re 2-0 down you just go gung-ho and you can get a result out of it.

“When it went to 2-2 we had a couple of good chances but we should have done that at 2-0.”