Football: Ellis Notley and Hibs ready for Edinburgh derby

The clubs meet on Sunday in the Scottish Women’s Premier League – with the contest screened live on BBC Alba – before facing off again in the third round of the Women’s Scottish Cup on December 8.

Ellis Notley will be hoping it is the green and white side of Edinburgh who will be celebrating a double success.

Looking ahead to the league encounter, she said: “You can get one up on Hearts.

“You get the bragging rights of winning the last derby.

“It is three points and we go out to win every game and get three points and set targets within the squad itself.

“We want to put in performances we are proud of and reflect how we want to play.

“If you can go and get three points and have bragging rights then that is a bonus.”

Currently, just five points separate league leaders Glasgow City and Hibs, who sit in fifth spot in the table.

Ellis Notley (left) will be hoping to help Hibs to victory over Hearts twice within a matter of weeks. Image: Michael Hulf – Hibernian FC

Hearts, along with Rangers, sit one point off top spot but a Hibs victory would put a spanner in the works of the Tynecastle side’s title ambitions.

Notley, who grew up in Aberlady and attended the village’s primary school before going to North Berwick High School, said: “There is not much between the two sides at all.

“Both clubs have taken steps to improve the women’s sides.

“I’m so appreciative of what Hibs have done and the plans in place that hopefully get done.

“There is not much between us and you can see how the game is growing.

“There are not many points between the top five, really.”

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The 25-year-old, who lives in Prestonpans, told Courier Sport that the Edinburgh derby games were fixtures that were always eagerly anticipated by both fans and players.

It was the Jambos who were celebrating earlier this season when they triumphed 4-0 at Easter Road.

Now, Notley, who is a supply teacher at Tranent’s Ross High School, and her team-mates are looking to reverse that score and celebrate three points of their own, as well as gaining a psychological advantage ahead of the cup contest.

Speaking on Monday, she added: “I think given the size of the fixture, it is one you look for.

“For myself and the full team, we look forward to it.

“The history of the fixture, predominantly in the men’s game, is huge.

“You can see this season with both our male counterparts and Hearts not starting the best, the derby was the fixture everybody was looking forward to being the turning point.

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“For us, our first derby did not go our way and we are looking to go out and rectify our performance and result from last time.

“Honestly, we cannot wait and it is just the start of the week.”

Notley has become a regular in the Easter Road side, clocking up more than 200 appearances for the Hibees.

She said: “Hibs is all I have known.

“From a playing level, previously I was at Musselburgh Windsor and Aberlady, but Hibs is such a big part of my life.

“It has been over 10 years I have been here and I look back at the kind of person I was and I have grown so much and the people I have met along the way.

“I cannot really sum it up, to be honest.

“It has flown by and I have enjoyed every minute.

“There have been highs, like winning cups, and there have been lows in seasons where we have not performed at our best.”