Three goals and a clean sheet is ‘a bit of a statement’ – Hibs’ Scott Allan

With three goals scored and three points already in the bag, an uncharacteristic
hoofed clearance by Scott Allan in the latter stages of the match against Aberdeen demonstrated the side’s determination to also add a clean sheet.

Florian Kamberi fires home Hibs third goal at Easter Road. Picture: SNS.

That kind of defensive dominance has been lacking, and the last time they negotiated a league match without conceding was the opening day of the Premiership campaign.

But, it is a sign of the ongoing improvement under Jack Ross that even a side that was arguably top heavy in attacking options was so concerned with proving they possessed the grit to see out the game without their own goal being breached.

“I think as a whole it was our best performance of the season, certainly from a defensive point of view,” said Allan, as Hibs’ creative midfielder explained the rudimentary
deviation from his usual finesse. “I thought last week for the first 60 minutes it was the best we had played but this was the full performance in terms of the clean sheet and some goals. It’s something to build on.”

It was the combination of attacking pace and verve, allied to that rearguard resolve that served up the win and moved the Easter Road side to within seven points of their guests and the battle for a Europa League qualifying place.

“We will just take every
game as it comes,” said Allan, pictured inset. “We’ve lost something like two in 14 games. It’s not too bad. But the main thing was getting a win – and a clean sheet. That was big for the squad!

“The defence has done good work in previous games and not got the clean sheet they deserved. But Aberdeen have been a consistent side for three or four years so that was a bit of a statement, I feel.”

The first half had been a fairly open and even contest but after the interval it was the home side who broke the deadlock and then never looked back.

In Martin Boyle they possess a wonderful outlet, whose speed, willing running and single-minded drive can quickly turn defence into attack and markers inside out.

Spotting his movement up top, Allan played a delightful ball through for him in the 52nd minute and the Australian striker nipped in ahead of the out-rushing Joe Lewis and managed to take it past the grounded keeper and fire it into the open goal.

Boyle added a second in the 68th minute. This time it was Florian Kamberi who supplied the ammunition. Out on the left, the Swiss player sent the ball inside for his colleague and showing strength, psychologically and physically, to hold off Andrew Considine, Boyle dispatched his strike past him and across Lewis and into the net.

Aberdeen tried to rejig things and had attempted to regain momentum with a triple substitution but although there was a shout for a penalty when Ryan Hedges went down under a challenge from Stevie Mallan, the Aberdeen man was booked for diving and any hopes of finding a way back into the game, as they had done against Rangers only days previously, disappeared when Hibs rattled home the third goal.

It came from Kamberi when he took the ball on the left flank and darted inside. There were Aberdeen defenders to evade but he skipped past Ash Taylor and Scott McKenna before finding space in a central position to drive a low right-foot shot into the bottom corner.

After that it was all about the clean sheet and ensuring that they saw out the game without conceding.