Hibs show increased maturity in Dundee: maligned player stands tall, Jair Tavares starts party, man of the match deserved better
Letting winning positions slip had been a weakness for this Hibs team but down to ten men and under siege from Dundee, they showed increased resoluteness and maturity to cling on for a crucial 2-1 Premiership win at Dens Park.
Kilmarnock, Ross County and St Mirren have pegged Hibs back under Nick Montgomery to deny them victories and the manager had called upon his players to dig deep and make the right decisions when defending a lead. They did it in their previous match to this, a narrow 1-0 win over Killie, and repeating the feat in Tayside gave them back-to-back league victories for the first time since March and moved them up into fifth in the table.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdThe victory looked to be a straightforward one on the hour mark following goals from Jair Tavares and Lewis Miller, but the Australian defender was sent off on 64 minutes for a second booking, giving Dundee added impetus to stage a fightback. Hibs missed Miller's tenacity at right-back and while Owen Beck did breach the Hibs rearguard on 86 minutes, a combination of stout defending and some fine goalkeeping from David Marshall made sure the three point headed back down the A90.
Montgomery will surely be pleased with the way his team maintained their shape and put their bodies on the line to preserve their lead. Rocky Bushiri made two huge blocks to deny netbound efforts while Will Fish deputised at right-back diligently. Dundee will lament not making more of their pressure, although they had the stand-out player in Luke McCowan. The forward was a creative force throughout and did not deserve to be on the losing side.
Hibs' opener, on 16th minute, is a contender for the best goal scored so far under Montgomery's watch. Tavares, the man of the moment at Easter Road right now, started and finished a fine move. The Portuguese turned Malachi Boateng just inside his own half and drove towards the Dundee goal. Dylan Vente peeled off to the left and picked up a slipped pass from Tavares and had the awareness to cut the ball back into the danger area, with Josh Campbell's cute dummy flummoxing the Dundee defence. Tavares had continued his run into the penalty box and did not have to break stride, meeting the Dutchman's pass and steering the ball low into the net.
Dundee responded. Hibs goalkeeper David Marshall, who has been maligned by some fans this season, made three smart interventions in quick succession, all from McCowan, firstly plunging low to his left to paw a netbound shot past the post on 21 minutes, then holding a tricky, dipping shot as Zak Rudden sniffed a spillage before, on 26 minutes, making himself big to deny McCowan from close range after he was set free by a clever Rudden back heel.
Hibs got their second goal in simplistic fashion when Miller rose highest to head home a curled-in corner from Joe Newell on 58 minutes but Australian received his marching orders six minutes later for bringing down Beck on the edge of the box. From the free-kick, Amadou Bakayoko's goalbound effort deflected straight into Marshall's grasp
Dundee's goal did come on 86 minutes. Beck's first shot was blocked by Bushiri but the ball fell kindly to him and he slammed past a grounded Marshall. It intensified Dundee's barrage and Marshall made a big save on 90 minutes, turning away another effort from McCowan. It was the hosts' last shot and as the full-time whistle went, Tavares led the celebrations in front of a jubilant travelling support.
Man of the match: Not often a losing players gets this, but Luke McCowan tormented Hibs with some of his creative play. Only Hibs goalkeeper David Marshall could keep him quiet.
Turning point: Hibs’ second goal from Lewis Miller put them too far ahead of Dundee, given how well they had lamented. The Dees will lament the cheapness of such a soft concession from a corner kick.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdRef watch: Dundee felt Don Robertson ought to have sent Rocky Bushiri off for a tackle on Owen Beck. There were a couple of half-hearted penalty claims for handball. The whistler got all of the big decisions correct.