'Outstanding' - Hibs academy chief highlights quartet's performance in victory over Middlesbrough

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Hibs academy chief Steve Kean declared himself more than satisfied after watching the development squad defeat a Middlesbrough XI at the Hibernian Training Centre.

Runar Hauge scored a first-half penalty with Josh O’Connor adding a double in the second period as the hosts ran out 3-0 winners in the latest cross-border game against English opposition. Speaking afterwards, Kean explained that the gameplan had largely been ripped up at half-time.

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“It took until the second half for us to properly get going. When you are playing against unknown teams, you have to learn to adapt the way you play,” he explained. “We had to tweak a few things at half time – we almost created a second gameplan. We grabbed the game in the middle of the pitch and got our midfield players on the ball. We kept the ball really well and that gave us a platform to build and play from.”

Kean revealed that the tweaks had allowed Hibs to ‘take more care of the ball’, getting midfield pair Murray Aiken and Jacob MacIntyre on the ball more than they had been in the first period.

Goalkeeper Freddie Owens kept a clean sheet on his first start for the development squadGoalkeeper Freddie Owens kept a clean sheet on his first start for the development squad
Goalkeeper Freddie Owens kept a clean sheet on his first start for the development squad

“We mentioned at half time that we were trying to go too forward too early. In the second period, we moved it across the back four nicely and got Jacob and Murray on the ball more. We also had Runar, Ethan [Laidlaw] and Josh running in behind. I couldn’t be more complimentary of our second-half performance.”

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While it was a familiar back four of Kanayo Megwa, Darren McGregor, Kyle McClelland, and Oscar MacIntyre, under-18s ‘keeper Freddie Owens made his first start for the development squad, although he might have expected to be busier than he was.

“The back four were outstanding and totally nullified any threat that Middlesbrough had, particularly in the second half. We were determined not to give up the clean sheet,” Kean added. “Freddie was excellent as well, he made the step up to the Development Squad, didn’t put a foot wrong and deserved his clean sheet. Finally, it was great to get Runar out of the treatment room and gym and back out on the football pitch; he gave us a different out ball and it was good to see him back.”

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