Hibs secured their first league win of the new season with a well-deserved victory over St Johnstone at Easter Road yesterday.
Hibs head coach David Gray made three changes to his starting XI with Lewis Miller and Martin Boyle dropping to the bench after their international call up for Australia whilst Hibs captain Joe Newell missed out through injury.
Warren O’Hora took the captain’s armband as Chris Cadden, Nicky Cadden and Elie Youan started the game.
New signing Dwight Gayle watched from the West Stand.
Ahead of kick off Hibs legend Pat Stanton was presented with a number 80 jersey to mark his birthday buy head coach David Gray.
The first half was evenly fought with neither goalkeeper tested until injury time when Nicky Cadden’s free-kick was nodded down by Marvin Ekpiteta and Mykola Kuharevich turned it home from close range.
After erupting in celebration, the fans held their breath as the goal was checked by VAR for a possible offside but eventually the goal stood.
The goal gave the players added confidence and they dominated the second-half.
Hibs second arrived in the 72nd minute when Chris Cadden ‘s perfect through ball found Boyle who used his pace and dinked the ball over the St Johnstone goalkeeper to score
In added time St Johnstone were reduced to 10-men when when Benjamin Kimpioka was sent off for a terrible late challenge on Jordan Obita.
After the final whistle Gray told BBC Sportsound: “I’m delighted with the three points. We’ve seen progression in the games we’ve played and I’m seeing it in training. It’s up to the players to show it on the pitch and especially second half we did that.
“But I said to the players before the game the starting 11 rarely finish the game and the subs come on and try to make an impact.
“They certainly did that today they came on and made us better which is what we want them to do.”
St Johnstone manager Craig Levein said “I thought we were relatively good in the first half and it was a really body blow to go in behind after a good first half away from home.
“I was very frustrated with the goal right on half-time and it was a very simple goal that we should be able to deal with. The second-half performance wasn’t good enough and we need to do better.”
Hibs: Bursak, Ekpiteta, O’Hora, Youan, C Cadden, Kwon, N Cadden, Obita, Triantes, Molotnikov, Kuharevich. Subs: Smith, Miller, Levitt, Boyle, McKirdy, Moriah Welsh, Hoilett, Campbell, Bushiri
ST Johnstone: Sinclair, Raymond, Cameron, Neilson, Holt, Clark, Wright, Essel, Smith, Sprangler, Kimpioka Subs: Rae, Hepburn, MacPherson, Kucheriavyi, McPake, Kirk, Bright, McCrystal, Dair
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.
