Hibs debrief: Cut out the daft mistakes, and there's a team in there...

Some Hibs fans will look on yesterday’s result as a point gained at a difficult venue while others will view it as two dropped.
Hibs defender Ryan Porteous battles for an aerial ball with Livingston striker Jay Emmanuel-ThomasHibs defender Ryan Porteous battles for an aerial ball with Livingston striker Jay Emmanuel-Thomas
Hibs defender Ryan Porteous battles for an aerial ball with Livingston striker Jay Emmanuel-Thomas

Regardless, Aberdeen’s failure to take anything from Tannadice renders it a useful point as it extends the Easter Road side’s lead over the Dons in third place.

There was some nice passing from Hibs in the second half and they coped well with the unusual bounce on the astroturf and a fairly strong breeze buffeting the Tony Macaroni Arena throughout the game.

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But it’s the third game running in which a basic error has led to the opposition scoring a goal. Against St Johnstone and Ross County it was poor clearances; yesterday it was a breakdown in communication between defenders.

These are mistakes that have to be ironed out if Hibs are to have any hope of a prolonged stay in Europe next season.

It brings us back to the importance of a leader in the Hibs team; a player who will bellow, “my ball” to avoid confusion, or launch it into the car park to clear the danger.

Sometimes the old-fashioned ways are the best.

That aside, Jack Ross is building a cohesive, well-drilled unit that is well placed to stave off any late challenge from Aberdeen in the race for third.

Player of the match

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Christian Doidge worked hard and got his long-awaited goal and Joe Newell impressed, but Josh Doig deserves the champers for his determination in the lead-up to the goal and his tireless running on the left flank all game.

Defining moment

Livingston had been asking questions without really threatening when Ryan Porteous inexplicably headed the ball into the path of Craig Sibbald to gift them the lead – if there had been better communication, might Hibs have won?

Referee watch

Juging by some of the industrial language Nick Walsh wasn’t popular with either set of players but he handled the game well and let it flow as much as possible.

In case you missed it…

Marciano catching a ball and then blootering it off Doidge in his haste to start a quick attack would have been some way to let one in but luckily the Israeli ‘keeper didn’t suffer the ignominy of conceding such a farcical goal.

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