How Hibs made controlled ascent to third in table - with momentum now on their side
David Gray’s men rewarded for efforts with complete performance at Easter Road
Cool, composed, clinical - and in total control. Yeah, that’s more like it, Hibs. A suitable reward for trending in the right direction, one single league loss notwithstanding. A statement win in a season of too many draws.
On a day when they created half a dozen quality chances, rattling in a dozen shots on target against visitors who never recovered from the loss of an early goal, David Gray’s men could justifiably feel pleased with their efforts. Especially as the three points claimed at Easter Road this afternoon elevated the capital club to third place in the Scottish Premiership.
For a team who came to embody the fickle nature of footballing fortunes last season, that return to the business end of the table feels like a reassertion of their status in the land. If they can rise to these heights after such an apparently underwhelming start to the campaign, where might a sustained run of results take them?
There was certainly plenty to admire about today’s game. Individually and collectively, this felt like a big afternoon for a lot of those involved.
Middlesbrough loanee Dan’s the man
Obviously a lot of the focus has been – and will continue to be – on Thibault Klidje, the club record signing who went some way to justifying his £1.5 million price tag with this performance. He created and then took his goal brilliantly, before winning the penalty that ultimately left Livi a broken team.
On a day when several players impressed, though, the ease with which Dan Barlaser strolled through the centre of the park deserves special mention. The on-loan Middlesbrough midfielder was coolness personified.
“He's been excellent,” said gaffer Gray, the former club captain adding: “He's been everything.
“He's obviously played at a very high level for a reason. He's played at big clubs. He understands what it means to play for big clubs.
“He's clearly very good on the ball. So he's got that discipline and calmness on the ball, which I think worked well today at times.
“And then you have his range of passing. So he's someone that gives us another body in there that can handle the football and can play to a very high standard, which is a good thing.”
Livingston try – and fail – to outsmart Hibs
David Martindale pulled a tactical switcheroo for today’s game, changing from a back four to a back three/five. It didn’t quite work out as he planned, considering the visitors conceded after just eight minutes.
Still, Gray admitted that it did take him and his coaching team a little while to figure Livi out, saying: “I thought Livy actually started the game well. So when you think about how the game started, I thought it took us a wee while to get used to their shape.
“They set up slightly differently to maybe what we had expected, so we had to adjust to that slightly. But then once we got the goal, we settled down a bit. And then rightly, while it's only 1-0, you always want to try and get that second goal in the game.
“The message at half-time was the same as always. Can we raise the intensity again, make sure we start on the front foot again? And I thought did that, locked it out really well.
“They couldn't really get out at the start of the second half. With Josh Mulligan on the front foot, driving the game from the middle of the pitch, Warren O’Hora on that side. And it really gave us a foothold then.
“And then when you get the second goal, it sort of calms you down a little bit. And then from there, Livi have to go for it.
“When you've got players that we've got on the break that can really hurt you, you've always got that opportunity on transition. And I thought, all in all, it was a really good professional performance”
Goals, goals, goals galore
If this afternoon’s contest had finished in a 2-0 home win, nobody would really have complained. Clean sheet, job done, move on to bigger challenges next weekend.
As regular readers will be aware, however, the underlying stats have shown Hibs to be among the more wasteful teams in the current campaign. So actually outscoring their expected goals (xG) rating of 3.03 feels like payback for some frustrating afternoons.
Klidje now looks hard to drop, while Kieron Bowie was his usual effective self. Martin Boyle will be desperate to regain his place. And Elie Youan is now fit enough to be on the bench, at least.
Yet Junior Hoilett nearly upstaged everyone by stepping off the bench to score twice in a 20-minute cameo, the veteran Canadian international beating the goalie with a deft header and then a thunderous finish to double his team’s lead. You can’t hide class, right?
“I know, a big target man up in the box,” said a grinning Gray. “So I’m delighted for him for him.
“You know what Junior gives you. He gives you quality. He affects games of football. He's done it his whole career.
“And I'm always very positive about Junior in terms of what people don't see with him. The most pleasing thing to me is how he is every single day. The standards he sets, the professionalism within it.
“And when he comes on and affects the game like today, I think it's really pleasing. And again, it's a selection headache. That's always a good thing to have.
“But he knows the role he plays. He plays a very important role. And it's brilliant to have that luxury to bring on.”