A first-half header from captain David Gray was enough to secure a second consecutive away victory for Hibs against a stuffy St Mirren this afternoon
Neil Lennon made three changes to the starting XI that lost to Aberdeen on penalties in midweek with Paul Hanlon and Martin Boyle missing out due to injuries and Oli Shaw dropping to the bench.
Gray, Daryl Horgan and Thomas Agyepong replaced the missing trio.
Hibs took a large and noisy travelling support to Paisley and they were rewarded in the 14th minute when Gray headed Stevie Mallan’s corner into the net at the back post.
Former ‘Buddy’ Mallan almost made it 2-0 moments later but his effort from the edge of the box flew over the bar.
Hibs dominated possession and Agyepong went close after cutting in from the right, but his shot went narrowly wide.
John McGinn’s brother Paul should have equalised in the 23rd minute but Gray managed to put him off his strike which flew well over the bar.
Gray almost grabbed his second after some good work from Flo Kamberi and Emerson Hyndman but he was denied by Saints’ keeper Craig Samson.
Just before the break Daryl Horgan then passed up a great chance after Kamberi miscued a shot in the penalty area but his close range header lacked pace and Samson was able to produce a comfortable save.
Hyndman and Aygepong both had early chances in the second half before Gray went close with a header from another Mallan corner.
At the other end Adam Bogdan did well to deny St Mirren’s new signing Simeon Jackson.
Mallan shot just wide of the post as Hibs continued to press forward in search of another goal then Lennon made a double substitution on 63 minutes with Steven Whittaker and Oli Shaw replace Gray and Hyndman.
From then on, the hosts enjoyed the majority of possession as they sought an equaliser and MacPherson went close in the 78th minute after ghosting in at the back post but his effort went just wide and Hibs comfortably saw out the game t secure a valuable three points.
St Mirren: Samson, P McGinn, Baird, Ferdinand, Hodson, Flynn, S McGinn, MacPherson, Edwards, Smith (Jamieson, 77’), Jackson. Substitutes: Lyness, Heaton, Kirkpatrick, McShane, Willock, Erhahon.
Hibernian: Bogdan, Gray (Whittaker, 63’), Ambrose, Porteous, Stevenson, Milligan, Mallan, Hyndman (Shaw, 63’), Agyepong (Slivka, 83’), Horgan, Kamberi. Substitutes: Laidlaw, Nelom, McGregor, Bartley.
Attendance: 6082
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.
