Blair Spittal struck a dramatic late winner at Easter Road as Hearts secured victory in the final Edinburgh derby of the season.
Hibs claimed an early lead in eighth minute as Martin Boyle evaded the attention of his marker all too easily to put the hosts in front, with the pendulum swinging following Raphael Sallinger's dismissal for denying a goal scoring opportunity.
Felix Passlack earned a second yellow in the second half to compound Hibs' misery, before Warren O'Hora topped it off with a delightful own-goal.
Pushing nine men Hibs all the way, the Jambos eventually got their break as Blair Spittal swept home a deflected winner to send the Dunbar End into raptures and start our post-split campaign with a bang.
The Jambos made decent strides in the opening five; Landy Kabore combined well with Claudio Braga to send the latter towards goal, he crossed for a waiting Shankland at the back post but couldn't get it down.
Moments later, Hearts had a corner courtesy of more good work from Braga, but the delivery in was cleared as far as Stephen Kingsley, who roasted an effort well high and well wide of Raphael Sallinger's crossbar.
A promising start was all it was, with Hibs racing into an early lead after eight minutes. A Jordi Altena foul on the left side of the area cleared the way for an in-swinging free-kick to pick out Martin Boyle at the back post, with Boyle ghosting away from Baningime to rifle past Alex Schwolow.
This was never going to be a quiet day, however, and the script took another turn as Hibs were quickly reduced to ten just minutes later; Sallinger paying the price with a red card after handling outside his area as Kabore closed in on goal, VAR decreeing it the denial of a goalscoring opportunity.
As a result, Hearts had a promising free-kick right on the line, but Marc Leonard's curling strike at goal could only sneak over Jordan Smith's crossbar, the sub 'keeper brought on as Nicky Cadden was sacrificed from outfield.
Smith was called into action quickly, with Hearts going close again after 20 minutes, this time through Stephen Kingsley - who's bullet header forced Smith into a save at full stretch to turn away from danger.
As the half-hour mark approached, Hearts started to get their foot on the ball, and a crazy minute saw them chase Hibs right up to their goalmouth, before Leonard's low dig from distance eventually snaked well wide of the post.
Hibs had Felix Passlack to thank shortly after as he made a vital last gasp block to divert Leonard's ball across goal over the bar with Braga lurking, but the Jambos maintained their assault.
Patient play eventually saw the ball worked to Kingsley on the left, who quickly spun the ball into the box to Braga once again. The Portuguese forward met it perfectly, but his header was over the bar by inches.
HT: Hibernian 1-0 Heart of Midlothian
If the first half provided drama by the bucketload, then the start to the second provided a whole truck's worth; Felix Passlack picked up a second yellow just three minutes into the restart for a dangerous challenge on Baningime in the middle - an earlier coming together with Kingsley sealing his fate of an early shower.
With Hibs down to nine, the onus was on Hearts to make it count, and Claudio Braga very nearly had the men in maroon back on level terms after being threaded into the box with just Smith to beat; the Hibs 'keeper coming out on top once more.
Hearts continued to swarm the Hibs goal, Craig Halkett seeing his low strike from range tipped around the post by Smith, before Marc Leonard's delivery at the resulting corner fizzled out.
Leonard would see a cracker of his own smash the woodwork, with Alexandros Kyziridis and Blair Spittal both introduced from the bench as the Jambos reloaded and went back on the hunt.
The equaliser wasn't pretty when it arrived, but it never needed to be, substitute Kerjota made good strides cutting in on the right, with his low drive across goal poked beyond his own 'keeper by Warren O'Hora - the own goal putting McInnes' men level at Easter Road.
For all Hearts' possession, Hibs put up a robust defence with nine men, the Jambos struggling to pierce their armour and find a second, and with the clock ticking - they simply had to find a way.
And find it they did, great running from Kerjota eventually saw him pick out an unmarked Blair Spittal at the edge of the box, with his clean strike taking a nick off a green shirt on the way in to send the fans into raptures, and Hearts up the road with all three points.
Hibs: Sallinger, O'Hora, Boyle (Suto 63'), Chaiwa, McGrath (Campbell 63'), Cadden (Smith 15'), Obita, Barlaser(Newell 63'), Passlack, Bushiri, Elding (Megwa 50')
Subs: Smith, Newell, Cadden, Iredale, Megwa, Andrews, Campbell, Scarlett, Suto
Hearts: Schwolow, Kingsley, Halkett, Baningime, Shankland, Braga, Kabore (Kyziridis 58'), Steinwender (Spittal 58'), Findlay, Altena (Kerjota 45'), Leonard
Subs: Fulton, Kent, McCart, Spittal, Forrest, Kerjota, Mato, Kyziridis, Chesnokov
