Dundee fought out a 2-2 draw against Hibs at Easter Road in Edinburgh this afternoon. Scott Tiffoney gave the Dee an early lead and the Dark Blues had the better of the first half only for Martin Boyle to equalise with a fine free kick shortly before half time. Kieron Bowie put Hibs ahead in the middle of the second half but Simon Murray’s late equaliser gave the Dark Blues a deserved equaliser and triggered wild celebrations in the away stand. In a frantically exciting four minutes of injury time Hibs hit the bar but had to survive fierce pressure as the Dee chased a winner.
Dundee made two changes from the team that beat Airdrie last week. Jon McCracken came in for Trevor Carson in goal and Billy Koumetio made his first start, replacing Ethan Ingram. Jordan McGhee moved from centre back to right back in the place of Ingram.
The match got off to a slow start with both teams shuffling the ball around in safe areas during the opening minutes.
When the Dark Blues launched their first serious attack they took the lead in the ninth minute. Scott Tiffoney and Ziyad Larkeche combined neatly on the left with Simon Murray who crossed to the far post. The Hibs defence made a mess of the cross, allowing it to reach Lyall Cameron. Faced with a crowd of defenders Cameron calmly played a pass sideways to Scott TIFFONEY in space and he whipped his shot passed the keeper from eight yards.
Dundee had the ball in the net again 10 minutes later when Cameron’s shot took a deflection to beat keeper Bursik. The offside flag went up and VAR confirmed that Seb Palmer-Houlden had been marginally offside when a Murray shot struck him before the ball broked to Cameron.
The game settled into a long spell of largely unconvincing attacks by the home side with Dundee trying to hurt Hibs on the break. Both sides were guilty of too many loose and inaccurate passes. The big difference was that Dundee were trying to attack at pace when they had possession whereas Hibs were ponderous and often seemed to lack urgency as if they were defending a lead.
Dundee had conceded too many unnecessary free kicks around their own penalty area and were eventually punished for it right at the end of the half. Billy Koumetio committed a rash foul a yard outside the penalty area and Martin BOYLE swept a free kick round the wall and inside Jon McCracken’s near post.
The Dark Blues had a good opening 15 minutes in the second half but in frustrating style. They buzzed around in the Hibs half, threatening to create danger but never quite delivering. A series of good build ups from Dundee’s talented midfield brought no end product. Luke McCowan, however, came very close to restoring the Dee’s lead when his 30 yard free kick struck the outside of the post.
Hibs meanwhile were consistently erratic. Without ever being convincing in defence they held the Dee attacking at bay. When they came forward they could sometimes work their way into promising positions and the move would then fall apart.
For all Dundee’s attacking the only time they forced a save was when home keeper Josef Bursik pushed a fierce angled shot by Palmer-Houlden round the post.
Hibs made three substitutions shortly after the hour. Although these didn’t change the pattern of the game one of the subs did produce a goal out of nothing to put Hibs ahead in the 72nd minute.
Kieron BOWIE took a throw in wide on the right level with the edge of the penalty area. He was allowed to turn far too easily, bundle his way past a couple of ineffectual challenges and smash a cross past McCracken to score. It was a well taken goal, but Dundee’s defending was poor.
Dundee immediately made two substitutions and changed formation. Curtis Main and Ethan Ingram came on for Scott Tiffoney and Seb Palmer-Houlden as the Dark Blues switched to 3-5-2.
Hibs seemed almost surprised at being in the lead. Their game management was poor and it probably cost them two points. Hibs sat deep, handing the initiative to Dundee, and giving the Dark Blues’ midfield the space to take control and create chances against a nervous home defence.
Dundee kept probing and pushing for an equaliser and they did it with conviction. Fin Robertson came on for Ziyad Larkeche, playing almost as a left winger. Finally, after 88 minutes Dundee broke through. Luke McCowan sent a clever first time pass with the outside of his foot down the right for Antonio Portales who played an equally quick pass through the Hibs defence. Somehow the defenders lost sight of the Dee’s highly conspicuous danger man and Simon MURRAY duly took advantage to sneak in and slip the ball through Bursik’s legs and give the Dee a well deserved equaliser.
When the celebrations died down and Hibs kicked off Dundee were caught cold and almost conceded a third goal. A long throw broke to substitute Josh Campbell who cracked a shot off the crossbar from 15 yards.
During the four minutes of injury time play flew frantically from end to end with Dundee looking the more likely to grab a late winner as the ball pinged around the home penalty area. A long throw was half cleared and returned into the penalty area. Koumetio flicked the ball on and from close range Murray shot straight against Bursik.
A point was a fair result in the end. Dundee didn’t play well enough consistently throughout the whole match to deserve full points. They started both halves well, and finished the match strongly. However, they allowed a struggling Hibs team back into the game and to take the lead too easily.
Dundee’s response after falling behind was very pleasing and, although they left it late, an equaliser was no surprise. It’s not so long ago that a performance like this, and a point, at Easter Road would have been gratefully received. Today, however, there is an element of frustration. The Dark Blues were short of their best but still fully deserved the point, and that shows how the team has improved under Tony Docherty.
Hibernian 4-2-3-1
Bursik
Miller (Chris Cadden 62), Ekpiteta, O’Hora, Obita
Kwon (Campbell 62), Newell (c)
Boyle, Molotnikov (Moriah-Welsh 78), Nicky Cadden (Bowie 64)
Kukharevych (Bushiri 83)
Unused subs: Smith (gk), Amos, McKirdy, Megwa.
Goals: Boyle (45), Bowie (72).
Booked: Molotnikov (dissent), Miller (foul on Tiffoney), Newell (foul on Sylla), Boyle (foul on Sylla).
Boyle
Dundee FC 4-3-3
McCracken
McGhee, Portales, Koumetio, Larkeche (Fin Robertson 79)
Cameron, Sylla, McCowan (c)
Palmer-Houlden (Main 75), Murray, Tiffoney (Ingram 75)
Unused substitutes: Carson (gk), Sharp (gk), Astley, Graham, Lochhead.
Goals: Tiffoney (9), Murray (88).
Booked: Murray (foul on Nicky Cadden), Koumetio (foul on Newell), McGhee (foul on Kukharevych), Larkeche (foul on Miller).
Referee: Colin Steven. Assistants: Jonathan Bell, Andy Milne. Fourth official: Alastair Grieve. VAR: Greg Aitken. Assistant VAR: Andrew McWilliam.
Attendance: 15,710.
Report: James Christie.
