Hibs completed their pre-season friendlies last night with a 0-0 draw away to East Fife despite dominating throughout.
Head Coach Alan Stubbs made eight changes with only Mark Oxley, Jordon Forster and Farid El Alagui retaining their place in the starting XI following Sunday’s match with Dundee United.
Former Newcastle United midfielder Michael Richardson started as a trialist whilst Paul Heffernan recovered from injury to take a place on the bench.
Hibs started brightly and youngster Lewis Allan almost opened the scoring in the fourth minute but the keeper did well to block his shot.
Allan then fired just over after Forester’s cross was headed into his path from el Alagui.
A terrific delivery from Forster was nodded into the path of Lewis Allan by El Alagui before the young forward fired just over from the edge of the penalty area.
Oxley then did well to stop a powerful drive from Alan Cook just before the break.
Callum Booth almost grabbed an opener just after half time then substitute Liam Craig fired a free kick just wide of goal.
Callum Crane then fired a terrific dipping volley that crashed off the crossbar before former Hibs’ player Fraser Mullen fired a free kick just with of the target.
With 15 minutes remaining Craig’s looping header from a Harris cross struck the bar with the East Fife keeper stranded but he proved his worth a few minutes later when he produced a stunning save from Harris’s well struck shot.
Just on full time Hibs should have scored when Booth found Heffernan unmarked in the middle, but his header went just wide.
Hibs face Rangers at Ibrox Stadium in the Petrofac Training Challenge Cup first round next Tuesday.
East Fife: Fleming (Rooney 46′), Mullen (Wooley 79′), Smith, Campbell, Moyes (Naysmith 46′), Walker (Beaton 63′), Cook (Barr 46′), Brown (Mackrey 63′), Austin (McShane 70′), Campbell, Smith.
Hibernian: Oxley, Dunsmore, Crane, Foster (Hanlon 46′), Nelson, Booth, S Allan (Harris 70′), Tudur Jones, El Alagui (Handling 46′), L Allan (Heffernan 65′), Richardson (Craig 57′). Substitutes not used: Perntreau, Stevenson, Robertson, Gardiner, Gray.
Referee: Calum Murray.
John graduated from Telford College in 2010 with an HNC in Practical Journalism and since then he worked for the North Edinburgh News, The Southern Reporter, the Irish News Review and The Edinburgh Reporter. In addition he has been published in the Edinburgh Evening News and the Hibernian FC Programme.
