Hibs produced their best performance of the season to hammer Aberdeen in a game dubbed ‘El Sackio’.
Photo Ian Jacobs
Both managers went into the game under pressure, Jim Goodwin because of the midweek defeat to Darvel and Lee Johnson due to the Scottish Cup and league defeats to Hearts.
And at the end of the day Johnson remains in charge at Easter Road whilst Goodwin was immediately shown the door.
Johnson made four changes from last weekend with Paul Hanlon and Fish returning at the heart of our defence, Joe Newell into midfield and Harry McKirdy up front.
Striker Nisbet was on the bench following a slight knee injury, where he was joined by four academy youngsters – Murray Johnson, Oscar MacIntyre, Josh O’Connor and Ethan Laidlaw.
Two goals from Josh Campbell, the second a wonderful diving header put Hibs n the driving seat at just before the break Elie Youan’s header put the result a near certainty.
Substitute Nisbet added a fourth shortly after coming on.
Photos Ian Jacobs
Fellow subs O’Connor and MacIntyre were given the final twenty minutes and contributed to the win.
On 85 minutes O’Connor was pulled down in the box and referee Craig Napier awarded the spot kick before showing Liam Scales a second yellow card of the afternoon.
Campbell dispatched the penalty for his hat trick and in time added on Will Fish opened his Hibs account with a header.
Afterwards Johnson told BBC Sportsound: “The clean sheet is important when it comes down to that defensive solidarity, which gave us the platform to go and attack. We played it forward much better, earlier – I thought Will Fish was outstanding in that.
“It enabled us to get on the front foot and we have pace in behind and, as the game got stretched, the intricacy of our footballers came to the fore. That was a club performance today and the club should be really proud.”
Hibs: Marshall, Cadden, Hanlon, Fish, Stevenson, Newell, Campbell, Jeggo, McGeady, McKirdy, Youan.
Substitutes: M Johnson, Miller, Cabraja, Jair, Nisbet, Henderson, O MacIntyre, O’Connor, Laidlaw.
Aberdeen: Lewis, McCrorie, Scales, Stewart, Hayes, Clarkson, Shinnie, Ramadani, Kennedy, Miovski, Duk.
Substitutes: Ritchie, Barron, Myslovic, Watkins, Duncan, Polvara, Coulson, Roberts, Marshall.
Referee: Craig Napier.
Attendance: 16,671.
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.
