Hibs winning run continued with a 1-0 victory over Dundee United at Tannadice tonight thanks to a goal from Christian Doidge midway through the second-half.
Head Coach Jack Ross unsurprisingly kept the same starting XI and substitutes that comprehensively beat Livingston at the Tony Macaroni Arena on Saturday.
Both teams went into the first Premiership game between the clubs in six-years with an unbeaten start to the season and the knowledge that any winners would top the division after the final whistle.Â
After five minutes Paul McGinn required treatment for a head knock following a reckless challenge by Jamie Robson who was also injured and had to be replaced by Adrian Sporle. As he was leaving the field Robson was shown a yellow card.
In the 18th minute Josh Doig collected the ball on the left wing, cut inside and unleashed a powerful long-range effort which flew well wide.
Joe Newell and Alex Gogic were both shown yellow cards for innocuous challenges then referee Don Robertson decided only to speak to Mark Reynolds for late challenge from behind.
A good passing move by Hibs ended when Doig set up Horgan side the area but the Irishman mishit his effort.
Horgan set up Doig but his angled shot was blocked then McGinn found Martin Boyle inside the area but he was unable to control the pass and the danger was cleared.
Nicky Clark had two free-kicks in decent positions but neither tested Ofir Marciano.
Just before the break Gogic won possession in midfield and found Kevin Nisbet who demonstrated some great skill by nutmegging Mark Connolly who wrestled him to the ground just outside the area. Newell’s free-kick eventually landed at the feet of Horgan who tried a shot from 25-yards which went high and wide.
Shortly after the restart Christian Doidge intercepted a poor pass by Peter Pawlett then found Nisbet on the edge of the area but his effort was blocked by Ryan Edwards.
Scott Allan replaced Horgan with Scott Allan in the 56th minute just before Luke Bolton set up IanHarkes who shot just wide from 20 yards out.
McGinn found Allan who tried a one-two with Nisbet but the ball was cleared for a corner.
Boyle did well down the right wing, beat a defender and cut the ball back to Nisbet but his effort was blocked by the keeper.
Hibs took a deserved lead in the 64th minute when Gogic’s cross found Doig inside the area. The youngster’s shot deflected into the path of Doidge who fired a tremendous left-foot strike high into the net from an acute angle.
A sustained spell of pressure from Hibs ended with a Nisbet shot from 18 yards which the keeper did well to hold.
In the 75th minute Newell was adjudged to have blocked a run by Pawlett 20-yards out and he was immediately replaced by Melker Hallberg leaving the field with a cut to his eye. Logan Chalmer’s free-kick deflected off Nisbet in the wall for a corner.
Gogic did well to deflect a Callum Butcher shot wide of the post as United pressed forward in search of an equaliser.
Pawlett had a great chance with seven minutes remaining but his volley from 10-yards out flew well wide and Hibs held on to secure their third successive victory, their best start to a season since Eddie Turnbull’s great team in 1974.
The win moves Hibs three points clear at the top of the table.
Dundee United: Seigrist, Connolly, Reynolds, Pawlett, Clark, Edwards, Robson, Butcher, Bolton, Harkes, Appere. Subs: Deniz, Sporle, Powers, C Smith, Chalmers, King, Glass, Freeman, Neilson
Hibs: Marciano ,McGinn, Porteous, Hanlon, Doig, Boyle, Gogic, Newell, Horgan, Doidge, Nisbet. Subs: Dabrowski, Gray, McGregor, Stevenson, Stirling, Hallberg, Murray, Allan, Gullan
Referee Don Robertson
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.
