Jim Goodwin talks up 'better team' Hibs as Dundee United handed Easter Road 'reality check'

Jim Goodwin refused to condemn his Dundee United players for a below par performance in a 3-1 defeat to Hibs that may have ended his side's hopes of a third place finish.

United were two goals down inside 14 minutes at Easter Road with a mistake from centre-back Declan Gallagher gifting the opener to Martin Boyle before the defence switched off for Mykola Kurahevich's second.

Goodwin made a double change at half-time and one of his new arrivals, Kristijan Trapanvoski, pulled a goal back instantly but Hibs secured a deserved win when Dwight Gayle stepped off the bench to head home a late third.

The defeat leaves United trailing Hibs by six points in the race to finish third although they remain three points behind fourth-placed Aberdeen, who lost 1-0 at St Mirren.

Dundee Utd manager Jim Goodwin during the 3-1 defeat to Hibs at Easter Road. (Photo by Alan Harvey / SNS Group) | SNS Group

"I thought Hibs were the better team over the whole piece and deserved the victory in the end," accepted the United boss. "The first half was a non-event as far as we're concerned in terms of what we put into it. And then we had a 20-minute spell just after half-time where we made a couple of changes and I thought both [Glenn] Middleton and Trapanovski had a positive impact.

"And obviously we get that goal and get ourselves back into it, but I thought Hibs finished the game stronger and got the third goal. I think ultimately what it boils down to is the fashion in which we concede the goals.

"Far too easy. The first one's a mistake. The ball is going behind us, it's going out to nobody and we actually turn it back into the dangerous area. The second one, the shape is poor and we get done with one ball in behind. And then the third one is a free header six yards out.

"So it's very hard to legislate for those types of goals and that's the disappointing thing."

Hibs' Martin Boyle scores to make it 1-0 after an error from Dundee United's Declan Gallagher. (Photo by Alan Harvey / SNS Group) | SNS Group

Goodwin felt Hibs dished out a "reality check" to his team over the levels required to finish third in the table but stressed that he would not throw his own players "under the bus" for a disappointing display.

"I thought they looked sharper," he said of David Gray's side. "More energy, more athleticism, more pace. The top end of the pitch and they're just a really, really dangerous team on the counter-attack. Disappointing given what's at stake at this point in the season.

"It wasn't down to lack of effort or commitment on the players' part. That's not what I'm trying to say. Sometimes you get beaten by the better team. I think if you look at the players that Hibs have got, individually across the board, I just thought they were better than us. That is of course disappointing, given what is at stake. But we're very much still in the fight.

"I'm not going to sit here now as manager and start throwing my players under the bus because they have been fantastic for me.

I said that to them down in the dressing room. Results like today are hugely disappointing because we believed coming into the game that we could get a positive result. We knew it was going to be difficult.

We knew that Hibs have had one defeat in the last 22, 23 fixtures, so we know how good a team they are. I just think today was a reality check in terms of where we need to get our levels to, in terms of that energy and that pace."