Joe Newell can give Hibs different creative dimension, says Paul Heckingbottom

Paul Heckingbottom believes Hibs will prove to be a real threat from set-pieces with the arrival of Joe Newell adding to his battery of dead-ball specialists.

Joe Newell played an hour for Hibs in their win over Dunfermline. Pic: SNS

And, insisted the Easter Road head coach, the former Rotherham United midfielder – one of six summer signings – adds a balance with his left-foot delivery.

He said: “Stevie Mallan, Scott Allan and Fraser Murray can all deliver right-footed, but Joe has a lovely left foot. He can make things happen in the final third.

“We’ll keep pushing him to get better and play with a real energy in his game because that’s the way we want to play and why we signed him.”

Newell was one of six players given an hour as Hibs came from behind to defeat Dunfermline 3-1 in their second pre-season friendly on Saturday, with Darren McGregor and Sean Mackie playing all but the last five minutes at East End Park as Heckingbottom again rotated his squad to give them adequate game time.

But, having watched Adam Jackson, Daryl Horgan and Flo Kamberi clinch the win after Euan Murray had given the Pars a fourth-minute lead, Heckingbottom admitted his players need to up the pace following a slow opening 45 minutes.

He said: “It was important to us to inject tempo, even if it meant giving the ball away and having to win it back. We want energy in the performance so, from that aspect, it was chalk and cheese, first half to second.”