Hibs boss sees positive signs despite injury-time sickener in Killie collapse

Gray getting his message across at Rugby Park | SNS Group

Frustrated Hibs boss David Gray believes his team will benefit from the international break – after watching them throw away a victory for the second game in a row. The visitors were 1-0 up on Kilmarnock heading into injury time at Rugby Park this afternoon, only for Jordan Obita to concede a penalty for a foul on Bruce Anderson, the forward converting the spot kick to cancel out Joe Newell’s wonder strike.

Hibs are still waiting for their first Scottish Premiership win of the season, having lost to St Mirren and Celtic, before blowing a 2-1 lead in last weekend’s home draw with Dundee. Gray, who has picked out individual errors as a recurring fault to his early days as a head coach, feels his team deserved better for their efforts in Ayrshire.

“I think the frustration is that's two weeks on the bounce from a winning position,” he said, adding: “To be pegged back makes it really difficult to take.

“But I think in the four league games we’ve played, there has been progression there in all the games. I think you can clearly see a little bit of a lack of confidence in some players at the moment.

“I think the break comes at a really good time. The new bodies coming in, time to gel, time to get new ideas into them, the squad starting to know each other a bit more. That's a good sign, I think. It would have been better to go in with a win today, but there is positives to take from it.”

On the vital incident that saw Killie handed a lifeline in injury time, Gray said: “I think the ball should never get to where it gets to. For Anderson to be wrong side of us, low, I don't like that. I think it shows there was a mistake in the back line there again.

“I think Marvin (Ekpiteta) recovers round. I think Anderson does well, he gets his body in front, gets across and Jordan naturally tries to recover inside.

“In hindsight, could he just leave the ball completely and see what happens because Marv's there? But at some moments it happens very quickly in a game, you've got a split second to make that decision.

“I think the thing for me is every goal is avoidable, maybe even further up the pitch. And I think we needed to be better in that moment.”

Praising Nectar Triantis for a second debut performance that came within the width of the crossbar to including a wonderful solo goal, Gray said: “He's only trained one day, but the fact he's been here before, he knows me, he knows the club and how we want to play, made it easier to make that decision. But also because of the quality he's got, which you've seen today.

“He really stood up to the physical side to it, but also the quality he's got when he's in there as well. So that's a real plus. “ don't like singling players out, but I think (Hyeokkyu) Kwon showed what he's about as well from a midfield point of view. That midfield has never played together, and it will get better.

“There's also competition now with players coming in, so I expect it to improve quickly. As I've said last week and weeks previously, we know exactly where we need to improve, and we've got the opportunity now with this break coming up to really hammer that home.”