Hibs 3-2 Hamilton final word: Jack Ross' men are taking care of matches they 'should' win - with some star performances along the way

It got nervy towards the end, but Hibs clocked up another important victory as Nisbet and Marciano shone again ...
Ofir Marciano and Kevin Nisbet impressed again for Hibs.Ofir Marciano and Kevin Nisbet impressed again for Hibs.
Ofir Marciano and Kevin Nisbet impressed again for Hibs.

Hibs have so often failed to take care of the “weaker" teams in the Scottish Premiership, win the matches that they are expected to. It has been their Achilles heel, especially at home. This season, they are bucking the trend.

Ten games into this league campaign and Hibs have 20 points, sit third in the table and have only stumbled against Celtic, Rangers, Aberdeen and Motherwell – the four teams that occupied the top positions last season. Every other foe has been dispatched.

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This latest triumph, a 3-2 win over Hamilton Accies, really should’ve been more straightforward. Hibs ripped Accies to shreds at times, but were wasteful with their finishing against an inspired debutant goalkeeper. They also conceded two penalties and had to rely on their goalkeeper Ofir Marciano to save one of them.

Kevin Nisbet bagged a double and Paul Hanlon grabbed his first of the campaign. Marciano saved a Marios Ogkmpoe spot-kick at 2-0 but could not repeat the feat when Ross Callachan stepped up from 12 yards later in the match. An own goal from Ryan Porteous five minutes from time made it an extremely nervous end when it really shouldn’t have been. Hibs, however, held on.

Hibs needed to bounce back from only their second defeat of the season, a chastening 3-0 loss at Celtic. Manager Jack Ross made a couple of changes to the starting XI with Josh Doig, who endured a torrid time against Jeremie Frimpong last weekend, making way for Lewis Stevenson at left-back for his first start of the season, while Rangers loanee Jamie Murphy replaced Drey Wright as Ross opted for an attack-minded 4-4-2.

Hamilton were forced into a change of goalkeeper. Regular stopper Ryan Fulton is self-isolating after a positive Covid-19 test earlier in the week, so 20-year-old Kyle Gourlay was called upon for his debut.

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One feared for Gourlay a little, up against a Hibs team eager to atone for last week. Hibs set the pace early, shuttling the ball from side to side and using wingers Martin Boyle and Murphy to stretch the play. The ex-Dundee keeper did well to bat away a Hanlon effort from a corner, but Hibs were right at his door, often playing a 2-4-4 formation in possession as the wing-backs seared up in support of more attack-minded players.

The inevitable opener arrived on 19 minutes. Boyle’s pace did the damage. He was sprinting towards goal and Hakeem Odoffin just had to foul him. Yellow card, free-kick just outside the box. Nisbet stepped up and curled it beyond Gourlay. It felt like the beginning of a deluge.

Nisbet’s and Hibs’ second goal on 34 minutes was a gorgeous one. There’s something extremely attractive about a strike going in off the underside of the crossbar and the striker’s cute header from a handsome Joe Newell cross did just that. Had Christian Doidge gone for beauty rather than beast and clobbered the ball against Gourlay’s torso a minute late when clean through, then this game would’ve been over.

Nisbet – already a hat-trick hero this season – was now in the hunt for another match ball. He sent presentable free-kick over the bar and was thwarted by Jamie Hamilton at the end of the first-half when pushing towards goal. The summer signing from Dunfermline is by no means the finished article, but he never gives defenders a moment’s rest and has that natural eye for goal. He must already be thinking about at least 15 goals this season, with six already in his satchel.

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Newell was the creative cog in Hibs’ wheel, but the Englishman was forced off due to injury at half-time. It seemed an innocuous one, a challenge in the Accies box, but his landing hurt him. He left the stadium with his arm in a sling. Newell’s game is right on point right now and Hibs will hope it's nothing serious. Melker Hallberg replaced him.

Hibs’ sheer dominance of the first 45 half didn’t transfer to the opening exchanges of the second period. While Accies were still ragged in defence, they had brought on their target man Ogkmpoe and therefore carried more of a threat in attack. He ought to have given Brian Rice’s men a way back into this match on 55 minutes when he won a penalty after Paul McGinn tangled with him. Two asides here – the original contact appeared to take place outside of the box and McGinn was the last man – but the defender only saw yellow. Ogkmpoe’s penalty wasn’t the best, but Marciano guessed correctly and made the save. The Israeli is in the form of his career right now ahead of the Scotland’s Euro 2020 play-off against Israel next week.

Marciano is a man possessed. He looks lean, alert and confident. His distribution has got better in recent weeks and he looks better under crossing. The arrival of Craig Samson to coach the goalkeepers in place of Alan Combe has to carry some sort of attribution for the improvement.

It was, however, Marciano’s opposite number who was really worked to the bone. He denied Nisbet his treble twice, but could do little about Hibs’ third on 63 minutes as Hanlon stole in to nod home a Doidge header. Doidge himself should have got on the scoresheet, but the now exposed Gourlay made a quite stunning save, turning the Welshman’s powerful header over the bar.

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Hibs shot themselves in the foot 12 minutes later with the needless concession of another penalty when Porteous tripped Callum Smith. Callachan lashed the ball home and Accies had a glimmer of hope, which was doubled when Porteous flicked the ball into his own net. A precarious finale followed, but Hibs held on – one suspects the lack of a nervy crowd helped definitely helped!

Job done. Again. On to the Betfred Cup next week, with the league position in fine fettle.

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