If you are going to keep your supporters waiting until your fifth match in charge to record your first victory, best to make it a good one.

For Marink Reedjik and the Hibs fans, this pulsating triumph over their great rivals proved to be a classic case of better late than never.

By the end of a remarkable weekend, the fact the Easter Road side had dropped to the foot of the Premiership table wasn’t even so much as a mild concern.

Hibernian will return to Hampden in December 13 to face off against Rangers for the first major trophy of the season.

Just as significantly, they got there with a performance which was brave and brilliant.

After a difficult start to life in Leith, Reedjik belatedly announced his arrival with a storied victory.

Whatever happens next month against Derek McInnes’ side, Hibs have created history just by getting this far.

Their four previous jousts with Hearts at Hampden stretching back to 2006 had all ended in failure.

How those witnesses to those disappointments milked the moment at time up here as Sunshine on Leith echoed around the arena.

Reedjik’s men did not make life easy for themselves. They were behind inside four minutes when Claudio Braga struck.

Given how poor their league form has been of late, you wondered if it might get ugly. What did we know?

Hibs were scintillating until the interval, on the front foot and turning the game on its head through Martin Boyle and Jamie McGrath.

While they defended like their lives depended on it when Hearts came at them in the second half, they spurned chances to put the game to bed.

Not that they’ll care a jot about that now. Under Reedjik, they finally have lift-off.

This was a painful episode for Wouter Vrancken, the Hearts manager.

It was as if the dream start startled his players. They were never in control of the contest the minute Hibs dusted themselves down and got to work.

Braga faded from view and he was not the only one. There was an air of desperation to Hearts’ efforts long before referee David Dickinson put them out of their misery.

The truth is that all the best players on the day - Joe Newell, Owen Elding and Boyle chief among them - wore the green of Hibernian.

Accordingly, Hearts’ wait for a first League Cup since 1962 goes on.

The bookmakers had predicted a win for the Tynecastle side. The form book pointed towards it. And, after just four minutes, so did the scoreline.

Calvin Miller won and took a corner at the Hibs end which swung in viciously. Braga timed his run to perfection, ghosted into space and planted a header beyond Raphael Sallinger.

After two own goals in his past two matches, Jason Kerr could have lived without the finger of blame pointing towards him.

On the sidelines, Reedjik looked on impassively. How would his side respond? In the best way imaginable, as it happened.

Rather than going into their shells, Hibs went on the attack and completely dictated the minutes up until the half-time whistle. To a man, they were simply outstanding.

Newell was at the heart of everything, demanding the ball in tight areas, finding passing angles which no one else could.

He played a cute pass to Felix Passlack. Goal-side of Malachi Fagan-Walcott, he forced Beau Reus into a low save.

Hearts’ cause certainly wasn’t helped by a couple of early withdrawals through injury.

Tomas Magnusson never recovered from a head knock he sustained in a clash with Kerr. Yan Dhanda shed his tracksuit.

Miller tried to run off a muscular injury that required treatment but was eventually replaced by Sabri Guendouz.

But there was more to the change in the game’s flow than just the personnel.

Hibs were far more secure in possession. They were more inventive. They looked more dangerous.

Adam Mayor’s pace took him to the line. His cut-back ended with Elding blazing over. But it encouraged the men in green and white.

Their equaliser on 19 minutes came after a period of control.

Newell’s pass into Elding was played with the perfect pace and direction. Elding’s flick around the corner was precise.

Running off Fagan-Walcott’s shoulder, Boyle got enough on his shot to prevent Reus’ touch keeping it out of the net.

Any concern among the Hibs fans that their celebrations would be cut short by VAR were ended when a still image showed Jordi Altena playing Boyle on by a couple of inches.

Hibs’ determination to stay on top extended to deserved bookings for Kerr and Josh Mulligan for taking out Dhanda and Stephen Kingsley. Altena was also carded for clipping Boyle.

Newell clipped the top of the crossbar with a drive through a packed penalty box.

Three minutes from the break, Newell was instrumental in the move which saw his side deservedly go up the tunnel ahead.

Boyle’s corner was headed clear by Jamie McCart. Newell took a brilliant touch to take Braga out of the game. His fizzing shot was blocked on the line by Fagan-Walcott. McGrath kept his nerve from four yards to stab the ball home.

Hearts had started well but completely dropped their levels. Braga did flash a header from a Josh McPake cross narrowly wide in injury time but an equaliser was ill-deserved at that point.

You sensed Vrancken would go through his players in the dressing room.

They were better after the turnaround. Laurent Mendy curled a shout just over while Braga raced clear and forced Sallinger to make a solid stop at his near post.

While Boyle did dart in from the left and force Reus to save, Hearts were asking more of the questions.

When Reedjik’s men came up for air, Elding’s hopes of nicking a third were thwarted by McCart’s slide tackle. Kerr also headed straight at Reus.

Sallinger did well to prevent Guendouz’s net-bound strike creeping in under his bar.

With the game increasingly stretched, Kingsley made up the ground to deny Passlack.

What Hibs fans would have given for a third to seal the deal.

Thibault Klidje should have done so when he burst clear with seven minutes remaining. With better options to his right, he took the wrong one and fired harmlessly over. At least he worked the keeper with his next attempt.

Hibs battened down the hatches. Grant Hanley came on and, this week, there was no debate about what end of the field he’d be stationed.

When Braga headed a chance from a free-kick wide with a couple of minutes remaining, the maroon exodus began.

Wild horses couldn’t have dragged the Hibs supporters from the arena. How they savoured this.