Hibs v St Mirren ratings and report as new boys find net in much-needed bounce-back victory

Hibs had a couple of goal-scoring new recruits to thank for a much-needed home victory over St Mirren, as David Gray’s men bounced back from their Edinburgh derby victory to breathe life into their stop-start campaign. And the Easter Road side were well worth a 2-0 win that saw them extend their lead over Falkirk while closing the gap, at least temporarily, on fourth-placed Motherwell.

Owen Elding marked his first start for Hibs with a breakthrough goal after 42 minutes, the former Sligo Rovers striker sending a glancing header past Shamal George from a delightful Dan Barlaser delivery just as it looked as if St Mirren would reach the interval having held the home side at bay.

And fellow January signing Ante Suto kept up his impressive scoring rate as a super sub, netting a vital second within minutes of his introduction as the home side put a stranglehold on the contest. Despite the visitors desperately throwing men forward in search of a lifeline, Hibs held out to secure a result that lifted the mood around Easter Road – and restored at least a modicum of momentum to a campaign lacking in go-forward of late.

Against a St Mirren team set up to defend in strength and depth, Hibs – with Irish teenager Elding making his first start up front, partnering on-loan Spurs striker Dane Scarlett – struggled to make a breakthrough in a first half short on genuine chances. Nicky Cadden’s deliveries from the left looked their most likely source of a goal, but the visitors worked hard to close down that threat.

Save a pair of fresh-air swipes from Scarlett and Rocky Bushiri at a set-piece, the home side – with Martin Boyle, Kai Andrews and the injured Munashe Garananga absent from the starting XI who lost to Hearts in midweek – were short of genuine opportunities. Until, that, is, a superbly worked short corner on the right just before the half-hour mark.

The short ball to Barlaser found the midfielder in space to curl in a right-footed ball that found Elding darting into space. The 19-year-old’s finish was all about accuracy, rather than power, as he headed the ball beyond George and in at the far post.

Hibs might have doubled their lead early in the second half, as Felix Passlack rattled a volley off the woodwork after a superb delivery from opposite wingback Cadden. But Raphael Sallinger was forced into a stunning save from St Mirren substitute Mikael Mandron just moments later, following a costly giveaway by Miguel Chaiwa in a dangerous area.

Boyle and Suto coming on for Elding and Scarlett gave Hibs a different sort of threat up top. And the change took about 120 seconds or so to pay dividends.

Suto, who had come off the bench to score a winner against Dundee United on his first outing for Hibs, then brought some aggression and threat to the derby defeat in midweek, may only have just squeezed the ball over the goal line from another bit of superb set-up play from Cadden. But the lack of oomph in the finish couldn’t detract from the goal’s importance – or the Croatian-Australian front man’s delight at finding the net again so early in his Easter Road career.