Hibernian 2 - 1 Kilmarnock: Home win Hoggs the headlines

THERE is still no sign of a new managerial appointment but a line has certainly been drawn under the past incumbent's era in charge.

The lamentable home record, which ultimately proved the undoing of John Hughes, whose team had not won at home since 6 March, was finally addressed, a double from captain Chris Hogg overhauling an early opener for Kilmarnock and giving the capital side their first win on home turf in ten games.

It was as if they were trying to erase Hughes managerial reign from the memory. Not so much as a mention of his departure in the match day programme, not even some sanitised platitude, while on the pitch the temporary management team opted to leave his summer signings on the bench, reinstating the likes of Hogg and Lewis Stevenson to the starting ranks.

The former had not been involved since 29 August, the latter was making his first start of the league campaign. But for all the tweaks and switches, when the match got under way there were the same failings in evidence.

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Defensively, the culling of the Hughes signings gave the back four an unseasoned look. Hogg was played out of position at right-back, despite the presence of Michael Hart on the bench, with Sol Bamba, Paul Hanlon and Lewis Stevenson completing the rearguard quartet. And within the first two minutes it was Hogg who was culpable as Liam Kelly played a ball into the edge of the six yard box. Uncomfortable and unsure of his positioning, although the defender lunged at it as it dropped, the only person who connected was Kilmarnock's David Silva, who battered the ball past Mark Brown to give Kilmarnock the kind of start they hoped would unsettle their hosts.

It unsettled the home fans, that's for sure. They had wanted to see the recent trend of points being dropped at home reversed. Especially with Mixu Paatelainen, another of their managerial rejects in the opposition technical area.It was not a promising start.

A goal up, Kilmarnock also had their tails up but the visitors lacked the killer instinct. They enjoyed the greater possession and managed to graft together a range of passing moves which saw them bear down on Brown's goal time and again.

The best chances fell to Liam Kelly, whose angled shot zipped across the face of goal and wide of the far post and Connor Sammon. At that stage there were 33 minutes gone and Hibs were still looking for a foothold and there would surely have been no way back if Hamill's pass back into the path of the Irishman had found the target. Instead he sent it over the bar.

Silva can shoulder just as much blame for failing to bury any notion of a Hibs comeback. Kelly and Harry Forrester combined to set up Silva at the back post, but having got in ahead of Hogg again, this time the attacker could not capitalise fully.

Having a tricky afternoon at one end of the pitch, Hogg suddenly found a scoring prowess that has been in hibernation for most of his Hibs career.

His last goal for the club came more than four years ago, in another match against Kilmarnock, but yesterday he doubled that tally with two headed goals in quick succession. Against the run of play, it allowed them to get the monkey off their back and the fans off his. In fact, when he left the pitch in the 65th minute, replaced finally by Hart, he did so to a standing ovation. Surely more a display of sheer relief at the fact he had given then victory than an honest appraisal of his entire contribution.

But at this stage, all that mattered was the win and, it was Hogg who sealed it. The first came in the 38th minute, with a corner-kick delivery deep into the area, where Hogg rose above his marker, headed down and although Craig Bryson tried to block on the line, it found the net.

The second came in the 45th minute. This time it was Stevenson who sent a long diagonal forward as the full-back moved up the wing. And connecting on the edge of the box, his header looped up and over Cammy Bell and into the net.

It was a scoreline which undoubtedly flattered the home team but no-one in green could have cared about such sensibilities.

Sammon had another chance to take Kilmarnock back into the lead early in the second half as Kilmarnock again began to dominate possession. But having the advantage, and looking more settled and organised, Hibs were able to soak it up a bit, with the luxury of hitting on the counter. It gave them another couple of late chances, through Colin Nish and Riordan but neither could be finished properly.

Holding on showed more character than has been the case in recent times but whether this was a display that simply serves to paper over the cracks or whether this group of players can maintain this level of dig and performance are the big questions for a team struggling to find any kind of form.

That will be up to them and the new management team - the old era is over.HIBERNIAN

Brown

Hogg (65)

Bamba

Hanlon

Wotherspoon (83)

Mcbride

Miller

Rankin

Stevenson

Riordan

Nish (90)

Subs used:

Hart (65)

Galbraith (83)

De Graaf (90)

KILMARNOCK

Bell

Hamill

Sissoko

Pascali

Gordon

Forrester (71)

Kelly

Eremenko

Bryson

Silva (83)

Sammon

Subs used:

Miguel (71)

Invincibile (83)

MAN OF THE MATCH

Jamie Hamill (Kilmarnock)

Like so many of his team-mates, he did not

deserve to be on the losing team. But was effective in defence and attack.

TALKING POINT

Hibs finally ended the barren run of games at Easter Road, getting their first home win in ten games.

Referee: I Brines.

Attendance: 11,256