Hibs debrief: Same mistakes haunt Hibs in lacklustre defeat

Motherwell goalkeeper Liam Kelly denies Hibs striker Christian Doidge in the second half

Take your pick from any of the pre-game stats – Hibs on a four-game winning streak, Motherwell struggling, hampered by injuries, and winless at Easter Road since 2013 – and there was a nagging feeling that what should have, on paper, been a straightforward win for the hosts was always going to end in an upset.

We’ve seen this so often from Hibs on home soil this season – failing to take their chances in the first half and paying the price. Too many players underperformed; the triple substitution looked more like a knee-jerk reaction than a tactically astute decision, and to fluff the two chances in quick succession that Christian Doidge missed is virtually unforgivable for a striker.

Aberdeen’s defeat at Celtic meant the table stayed the same for Hibs but there was something almost inevitable about the Capital club passing up the chance to extend the gap between them and the Dons.

Next week’s trip to St Johnstone is a tough one but given Hibs have performed better away from home, perhaps it’s the ideal match for the players to get this lacklustre display out of their system.

Player of the match

So many players underperformed but Chris Cadden can at least hold his head up high. Lewis Stevenson didn’t do much wrong before being hooked, either.

Defining moment

Either the triple substitution and Hibs predictably reverting to 4-4-2, or the double-chance missed by Doidge which, had he converted, may have given them a faint hope of taking something from the game.

Referee watch

Alan Muir didn’t have a lot to do until sending off ‘Well boss Graham Alexander in injury time. Tried to keep play flowing, waved away laughable penalty claims from both sides, and only used his cards when he had to.

In case you missed it…

At one point in the second half after another chance had gone abegging, the Hibs players were trudging back to their own half with their heads down, almost accepting their fate. It’s been said so often before but this team really lacks someone to rouse the team into fighting back when they’re behind and with McGregor already off the park, there were no obvious candidates. And that’s concerning.

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