Kilmarnock 1 - 3 Hibernian: Midfielder Tom makes Hibs Soar

Hibs had conceded nine goals in two matches, albeit against league leaders Celtic and in-form Motherwell, but one first-half goal and two after the break gave the capital side only their fifth league win of the campaign. It moved them three points clear of Dunfermline at the foot of the table, with a game in hand.

Kilmarnock were also looking for a result to get them back on track. Their win at Ibrox last weekend had taken them just shy of the top six. But the inconsistency of their season was underlined midweek when they were slaughtered by Dundee United.

It made for an interesting fixture. And it became even more interesting when Hibs took the lead in the 13th minute. There had been little to split the sides up until then and the home punters will be disappointed that the opening came so easily to the guests. A good diagonal ball in for Tom Soares and, all too easily, he lost Lee Johnson inside the box to slot home the angled shot.

“For every goal you could say there is a mistake,” said Killie manager Kenny Shiels, refusing to be too critical of the midfielder for giving Hibs the confidence boost they needed. He was less charitable when it came to describing the overall team performance: “I’m very disappointed because that is the fourth game this season that we have lost to the team sitting bottom or joint bottom of the league. There are big questions over our strength of character.”

The worry for him is that the League Cup final looms large but if they can’t produce better than this, they will have a horribly uncomfortable afternoon against Celtic.

Shiels said that the number of games, which had been coming thick and fast, as well as the injuries having to be absorbed by his small squad, were contributing factors. They were not, however, valid excuses for the insipid display.

His opposite number was in a better mood. “It was very pleasing,” said Fenlon. “The players did what we asked them to do. That was the best 45 minutes of my time here.

“By the end of the first half we should have gone in two or three up and normally we would have wanted the chances to fall to Leigh [Griffiths].”

The striker, who was omitted from this week’s Scotland under-21 squad, has rediscovered his form in the past couple of games, but his 13th-minute shot was just over the top, and his third-minute effort was parried by Cammy Bell. In probably the best chance, a long clearance upfield from Jorge Claros picked him out and he burst through on goal, but with just the keeper to beat he couldn’t get it beyond Bell. That was in the 37th minute and up until then Kilmarnock had carved out precious little at the other end. Michael Nelson’s deflected effort in the 25th minute was the most noteworthy and that zipped past Graham Stack’s post.

It was a narrow gap at the interval but a deserved one, but Hibs’ defensive frailties meant they probably needed a second.

They did that in the 47th minute. This time it was a long clearance from the Hibs keeper and when Roy O’Donovan and Nelson challenged for the high ball it was the Hibs striker who reacted first to the second ball and slammed a 25-yard wonder strike beyond Bell. You could almost sense the sigh of relief in the visiting ranks, who remained in control. Killie tried to get back into it and did apply a bit more pressure but it was Hibs who got the next goal. In the 66th minute, it was a second for Soares from a Griffiths pass.

The Rugby Park side pulled one back in the 83rd minute, meaning Hibs once again failed to keep a clean sheet, a minor issue after the horrors of the past week.

“We have scored six goals away from home in the past two games,” said Fenlon. “Rather than focus on the negatives from the Motherwell game, we were focusing on the positives and we brought that into this game.”

They now just need to keep that going, while Killie have to go back to the drawing board.