Dundee 2, Hibs 4: Super show takes Hibees into top six

Stevie Mallan celebrates scoring to make it 4-1 to Hibs

Swiss striker Florian Kamberi has looked an entirely different player since the Englishman took over from Neil Lennon and he claimed his 12th goal of the season as he fired the Capital side into a short-lived lead, Paul McGowan equalising for the Dens Park outfit.

But Marc McNulty netted twice to take his tally to four in three games since arriving on loan from Reading and Stevie Mallan hammered home a trademark thunderbolt to ease Hibs into a 4-1 lead.

Former Hibs striker Kenny Miller twice had the ball in the net for Dundee only to be ruled offside on both occasions before Martin Woods gave his team-mates hope as he reduced the deficit to two with 11 minutes remaining.

However, it wasn’t enough, Hibs ending the evening sixth by virtue of a better goal difference than St Johnstone – their opponents next Wednesday – who face Aberdeen at McDiarmid Park today.

Sixth or above is obviously where Hibs want to be after they’ve played their final game before the split, away to Hearts in mid-April, but to see them move into the top half of the table – possibly on only a temporary basis – will be seen as a sign they are heading in the right direction. Heckingbottom had obviously been sufficiently satisfied by what he had seen in his first match, that 2-0 win over Hamilton, to name not only the same starting line-up but substitutes as Hibs went for a first third-successive victory since that early-season Europa League campaign.

They did so against Dundee, a side they had lost to on only one occasion in their past 17 meetings, a run stretching back some 16 years.

The Dens Park outfit, however, had enjoyed an upturn in fortunes since the turn of the year, last weekend’s win against Livingston lifting them out of the Premiership table’s bottom two for the first time since August although they were without Andrew Nelson this time, the striker ruled out after aggravating an injury at Livingston while celebrating his goal last weekend.

Jim McIntyre’s players certainly had a spring in their step and they had an early appeal for a penalty, Mark Milligan stepping in to prod the ball behind for a corner as ex-Hearts man Ryan McGowan tried to race on to Craig Curran’s pass, the suggestion being the Australian veteran had his arms around his countryman.

The Easter Road side had struggled to impose themselves in the opening 20 minutes with Jesse Curran stretching Ofir Marciano only for his low shot to slip wide of the far post.

However, that changed as Lewis Stevenson’s long ball saw Stevie Mallan spring the home side’s offside trap. However, goalkeeper Seny Dieng comfortably beat away his shot.

And, having been second best, Hibs hit Dundee with the classic counter-punch, Kamberi outmuscling Genseric Kusunga to get on to the end of McNulty’s inviting through ball before slamming it between Dieng and his left-hand post.

It had taken Hibs a little time to get into their stride but, having made the breakthrough, they almost added a second, a burst of pace from Vykintas Slivka giving him the space to deliver a delightful ball to  McNulty, who hooked it over his shoulder only to see Dieng, at full stretch, spectacularly turn it over the bar.

Dundee made the most of that moment, Scott Wright slipping clear of David Gray and having the vision to spot Paul McGowan’s run before slipping the ball across for him to clip home from six yards, a goal which came with his side down to ten men with Craig Curran having headed up the tunnel for a spot of treatment.

Hibs’ defending had been questionable in that instant, but they shook off that disappointment to get themselves in front for a second time barely two minutes later. Daryl Horgan did all the spade work, driving to the bye-line before drilling the ball to the back post for the waiting McNulty to turn home.

For two teams who had been struggling for form until recent weeks, it had been an enterprising opening 45 minutes from them both with Dundee possibly feeling a little aggrieved to be heading for their half-time cuppa trailing.

There was little let-up when the teams returned, Mallan sending a free-kick into the arms of Dieng and Nathan Ralph fizzing one at Marciano before Kamberi, who appears to be enjoying a new lease of life under Heckingbottom, twisted and turned only to see his shot go wide.

McNulty tangled with Ryan McGowan as he attempted to break through, the former Hearts player picking up a booking in the process although it looked as if the Hibs striker’s boot had caught the Aussie in the chest.

“It was a bit of handbags,” insisted McNulty afterwards. “It was one of those, it happens quite a lot. We both shook hands after it and got on with it.”

Hibs were looking for a two-goal cushion but it took a terrific save from Marciano to prevent Andy Dales hauling Dundee level, the Israeli internationalist throwing himself to his left to push a netbound shot away from danger.

The Capital club got that bit of breathing space when Dieng could do no more than knock down Mallan’s powerful shot into the path of McNulty, who rolled it into the empty net. And three minutes later, Hibs put the game out of sight, Mallan coming in from the right to send a glorious shot high beyond the Dundee goalkeeper.

Miller had those two headers ruled out for offside before Woods reduced the deficit but it proved too little too late for the Tayside team who remain very much in the relegation mix.

Hibs, though, are definitely heading in the right direction under Heckingbottom.

Dundee: (4-4-2): Dieng; Horsfield, R McGowan, Kusunga, Ralph; J Curran, P McGowan (Robson 65), Woods (O’Sullivan 65), Dales; C Curran (Miller 56), Wright. Unused subs: Hadenius, Kerr, O’Dea, Parish.

Hibs: (4-4-2): Marciano; Gray, McGregor, Hanlon, Stevenson; Mallan, Slivka, Milligan, Horgan (Omeonga 62); Kamberi, McNulty (Shaw 64). Unused subs: Bigirimana, Nelom, Bogdan, Mackie, Allan.

Referee: John Beaton

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