Dundee had a disappointing afternoon in Edinburgh, losing 2-1 to Hibs at Easter Road. The Dark Blues had a poor first half and Dylan Vente’s penalty gave Hibs the lead at half time. The Dee reorganised for the second half and were more effective, but Hibs remained the stronger side. However, Luke McCowan equalised after 78, only for Hibs to restore their lead immediately with a fine winner by Myziane Maolida.
The Dark Blues fielded an unchanged line-up after winning their last two games against St Johnstone and Ross County.
The opening minutes gave us a taste of what the Dundee had to offer in a disappointing first half. The Dee played their way nicely into some promising positions, but couldn’t turn them into any real danger to the home goal.
Hibs showed signs of a team short of form and confidence. They gave the ball away repeatedly in their own half but Dundee couldn’t take advantage. The Hibees might have lacked fluency in midfield but on the flanks Martin Boyle and Myziane Maolida offered pace and skill which allowed them to get the ball down the park.
In the first half hour Hibs won a series of corners and might have taken the lead from two chances that came the way of central defender Will Fish. The first time the ball broke to him 15 yards out but he sent his shot straight at Trevor Carson. The second chance was a free header, but again he sent his effort straight at the keeper.
Hibs took the lead after 35 minutes from a penalty kick that could hardly have been more avoidable, and Trevor Carson will have to put his hands up and take responsibility. He sent a poorly judged pass to Owen Beck who had to control an awkward ball under pressure. The full back lost possession and Dundee were on the back foot, happy to concede a corner. Carson came to collect, dropped the ball, knocked it away from one Hibs player but then caught Emiliano Marcondes. Dylan VENTE scored from the spot.
The gift gave Hibs a huge lift and they took charge, constantly threatening to extend their lead before the half time whistle. Carson did his best to make amends and pulled off two fine saves from Vente and Maolida. Marcondes saw a shot deflected into the side netting as the Dark Blues hung on till the interval when they could reorganise.
The Dark Blues switched to 3-5-2 for the second half. Rickie Lamie and Michael Mellon replaced Dara Costelloe and Scott Tiffoney. They might have falled further behind before the changes could have any effect, but Boyle’s fierce 18 yard volley was superbly saved by Carson.
VAR bailed Dundee out when Hibs caught them napping with a smart free kick from which Vente netted. After a lengthy review, with the ball already on the centre spot, the goal was eventually disallowed for what must have been a very close decision.
Josh Mulligan came on for Lyall Cameron and looking more likely to score more goals than allow the Dee back into the game.
Curtis Main and Malachi Boateng replaced Amadou Bakayoko and Mo Sylla. Main’s physical presence caused Hibs’ defence problems and Dundee started to attack more, playing and moving more effectively through to the final third without ever achieving the fluent passing game they are capable of. Mellon sent a shot narrowly wide following a long throw. Main then turned the ball into the net from a corner, but it was disallowed for offside. A simultaneous VAR review for a penalty also went against Dundee, for the second time in the match.
Dundee were getting forward more and into better positions, but the equaliser was still against the run of play when it arrived after 78 minutes. A long throw was cleared only as far as Luke McCOWAN on the edge of the penalty area and he took a touch before scoring with a lovely low drive into the corner.
The equaliser gave the Dark Blues brief hope that they might pinch a win, and they surged forward. However, the optimism lasted only three minutes before they were undone by a moment of high quality that won the game for Hibs.
Maolida took Vente’s pass to run into the penalty area from the left. Joe Shaughnessy was covering, but MAOLIDA cut inside, then checked back the other way before scoring with an unstoppable shot into the corner. Maolida had been a danger throughout the match, and his winning goal was the best piece of football we saw all afternoon.
Hibs could have had a third goal, but Lewis Miller headed over after another well worked free kick. They could have tied the game up whenever they broke at pace in added time as Dundee pushed for an equaliser.
Losing the winning goal so soon after the equaliser was disappointing, but sadly the Dee got what they deserved today. Hibs were the better side, and once they were in the lead played the more incisive attacking football. Carson’s mistake might have led to that first goal, but he was in excellent form for the rest of the match. His saves put Dundee in a position to steal a point.
Dundee had spells when they played some good football in midfield, but they lacked a cutting edge today, and the defence struggled against Hibs’ pace and movement. The Hibees have had a tough time in recent months, but unluckily for the Dee they came up against a Hibs team which was much more like the sort of team opponents would expect to face at Easter Road.
Dundee did improved after a poor first half, and kept fighting to try and save the game, but over the whole game they were second best. Hibs were worthy winners.
Hibernian FC 4-2-3-1
Marshall
Miller, Fish, Bushiri (Hanlon 89), Obita
Moriah-Welsh (Amos 58), Newell (c)
Boyle (Tavares 89), Marcondes (Triantis 84) , Maolida
Vente (Le Fondre 84)
Unused subs: Wollacott (gk), Youan, Mayenda, Stevenson.
Goals: Vente (35 pen), Maolida (81).
Booked: none.
Dundee FC 4-3-3
Carson
McGhee, Shaughnessy (c), Donnelly, Beck
Cameron (Mulligan 58), Sylla (Boateng 66), McCowan
Costelloe (Lamie at half time), Bakayoko (Main 66), Tiffoney (Mellon at half time)
Unused substitutes: McCracken (gk), Dodgson, Astley, Robertson.
Goal: McCowan (78)
Booked: Bakayoko (simulation), Donnelly (foul on Boyle).
Referee: John Beaton. Assistants: Chris Rae, Gordon McCabe. Fourth Official: Steven Kirkland. VAR: Chris Graham. Assistant VAR: Ross Macleod.
Attendance: 16,102.
Report: James Christie.
