Defensively challenged Aberdeen and Hibs show some style but little substance: crazy 2-2 stat, winning not a habit, top six on knife-edge

Spoils are shared at Pittodrie – but these are two teams who need to buck up their ideas quickly

This was a match that encapsulated both Aberdeen and Hibs’ Premiership seasons to date. Moments of brilliance, tarnished by mistakes, with a 2-2 draw suiting neither in their quest to make the top six. It is no real surprise these two have identical points totals and goal differences.

While the duo moved up a place in the table above Motherwell, who were beaten 2-0 by Hearts, they are now five points behind sixth-placed Dundee. Hibs welcome the Dee to Easter Road next Saturday in what becomes a seriously important match if they are to finish the right side of the split. Problem is, Hibs have not won a league game in eight matches, stretching back to the start of December.

They had their moments at Pittodrie as Nick Montgomery came up his old gaffer Neil Warnock, 33 years his senior. Martin Boyle put them ahead with a smart finish on 12 minutes but their lead was too short-lived. Nicky Devlin levelled three minutes later for Aberdeen, who took the lead early in second half through Jamie McGrath. Warnock will lament not going on to kill off their visitors, but then the Dons themselves haven’t won since January 2. Emiliano Marcondes equalised for Hibs on 67 minutes and the game stuck on 2-2.

Hibs' Lewis Miller and Aberdeen's Graeme Shinnie at full time after a 2-2 draw between the two at Pittodrie.

VAR was heavily involved too – when isn’t it? Three of the four goals were scrutinised for offsides and Hibs were aggrieved that referee David Munro was not summoned to the monitor to check what looked like a pretty obvious handball by Devlin, who was front and centre of this encounter. Aberdeen had their gripes, too.

If Hibs don’t make the top six, then they will look back at no fewer than seven 2-2s recorded in the league this season. Scoring goals is not this team’s problem. Defending clearly is. Goalkeeper David Marshall – who ended the match injured and replaced by Jojo Wollacott – made several saves, poorly protected by Hibs’ young centre-half duo of Will Fish and Nectarios Triantis. Fish, on his 21st birthday, picked up a yellow card for his troubles. Triantis, 20, continues to look unconvincing. Hibs need leadership at the back, so a penny for club captain Paul Hanlon’s thoughts on the bench. The 34-year-old is seemingly surplus to requirements.

Aberdeen, who face fourth-placed Kilmarnock next weekend, have barely improved under interim manager Warnock. Famed for getting a tune out of underperforming team, his impact on this Dons unit is so far limited. Duk and Bojan Miovski always looked dangerous in attack but like Hibs, there is too much of a soft underbelly to Aberdeen in a defensive sense.

It was highlighted just eight minutes in. Joe Newell’s long ball was not dealt with by Stefan Gartenmann, who was outmuscled too easily by Myziane Maolida. The Frenchman kept his cool, rolled in Boyle and the Australian rounded Kelle Roos to net. There was a lengthy VAR check for a potential offside on Maolida but he was just played on by a static Richard Jensen.

Emiliano Marcondes levelled for Hibs on 67 minutes.

Hibs could not hold on for long enough. A clipped ball found Miovski peeling off Triantis and while Marshall saved smartly from the North Macedonian, Devlin reacted quickest to score from close range. The goal was checked by VAR but there were no issues.

The technology was called upon once more on 31 minutes when Devlin appeared to handle a cross in his own box. The full-back’s arm was away from his body and contact occurred right on the T-shirt line border. We have all seen them given. Hibs’ mood would have darkened further had Leighton Clarkson not hit the bar rather than the rigging from close range not long afterwards.

Both teams’ propensity for coughing up cheap goals haunted them in the second half. Fish and Triantis were all at sea from a Duk cutback on 51 minutes that allowed McGrath to pick his spot from close range, and then on 67 minutes, Devlin inexplicably ducked to let a Hibs through ball in on goal which Newell seized upon and squared for Marcondes to net with a cushioned volley. It left Warnock tearing his hair out – although he was more incensed for the decision not to award Miovski a penalty ten minutes earlier when Marshall floored the forward when punching the ball clear. Again, we’ve seen them given.

The match concluded scrappily. Neither team really deserved to find the win. Hibs survived without Marshall, who suffered a muscle strain when saving from Miovski. Wollacott, his replacement, was solid enough under some lukewarm pressure. Both teams have only won six league games out of 25 all season, but if they want to make the top six, now is the time to buck the trend.

Aberdeen and Hibs left bewildered by refereeing calls in 2-2 draw - 'he’s poleaxed him'