Marink Reedijk’s first game in charge of Hibs ended in disappointment at Tannadice this afternoon.
Reedijk made three changes to interim boss John Potter’s side that drew with Aberdeen before the international break
Deadline Day signing Marko Ivezić made his long-awaited debut in an attack minded starting line up, replacing Grant Hanley with strikers Owen Elding, Ante Šuto and Thibault Klidjé all selected.
Recent signing Rabbi Matondo was listed amongst the substitutes alongside Martin Boyle.
Felix Passlack captained the side.
Dundee United boss Jim Goodwin named an unchanged starting line-up to the side that beat St Mirren 3-0.
Unusually Hibs took the field wearing their home top with green shorts.
Josh Mulligan had an early chance from an Elding free-kick but he was unable to get sufficient contact on the ball and the danger was cleared.
Hibs almost took the lead in the 8th minute after a great run by Callum Wright. He eventually found Passlack who slid the ball into the path of Mulligan but his effort from eight yards was blocked.
Klidge was next to try his luck from 25-yards but his strike was well saved by Jack Walton.
At the other end Raphael Sallinger did well to save from Jesse Randall before Walton easily dealt with a curling effort from Mulligan as Hibs held the upper hand.
But it was United that almost took the lead against the run of play when Lyle Cameron set up Randall but Sallinger was alert to the danger and saved well.
Miquel Chaiwa was deservedly shown a yellow card in the 27th minute for pulling back Cameron who was breaking clear.
Mulligan had another long-range effort but it was a tame one and the keeper saved easily.
Then in the 34th minute the hosts took the lead when Daniel Bennie bundled the ball into the net from a Cameron cross. The goal was given after a brief VAR check.
Shortly before the break Michael Forbes was booked for a foul on Suto as Hibs looked to get back into the game.
United started the second-half on the front foot and Sallinger did well to deny Cameron at the near post.
In the 53rd minute Hibs changed their entire front three with Elding, Suto and Klidge making way for Nathan Lowe, Boyle and Matondo.
Matondo made an immediate impression and ran 60 yards with the ball before his shot was blocked by Forbes for a corner,
The changes gave Hibs a lift and they enjoyed a spell of pressure without testing Walton.
Wright did well down the left before sliding the ball into the path of Passlack but his strike was deflected for a corner.
A mistake by Jason Kerr in defence allowed Bennie a clear shot but his effort was inches too high.
Then Jack Iredale did well to clear a dangerous cross as the hosts looked the more likely to score.
In the 77th minute Iredale and Chaiwa were replaced by Nicky Cadden and Jacob Devaney.
With 10-minutes remaining United were awarded a penalty when Neil Farrugia was nudged over as he raced towards the goal, right on the edge of the box by Devaney.
The referee was eventually sent to the monitor and changed the decision to a free-kick and a red card for Devaney although it looked harsh on the youngster.
The decision took four minutes to resolve, and the resultant free kick by Abdoulaye Yoro was tipped over the bar.
Despite that only five minutes added time was awarded even though therehad been four sets of substitutions.
Yoro was booked for hauling down Boyle and the Hibs player also saw yellow for his reaction.
Then in the dying minute Walton did well to save from Boyle and the points remained on Tayside.
The result leaves Hibs in 10th place, two points ahead of Kilmarnock.
Dundee United: Walton, Rawlins, Esselink, Forbes, Ciubotaru, Iqbal, Tait, Cameron, Randall, Metsoko, Bennie.
Substitutes: Amissah, Iovu, Graham, Sapsford, Camara, Rose, Farrugia, Maamo, Yoro.
Hibs: Sallinger, Passlack, Kerr, Iredale, Suto, Mulligan, Chaiwa, Wright, Klidje, Elding.
Substitutes: Owens, Lowe, Hanley, Boyle, Newell, Cadden, Devaney, Matondo, Abdulai.
Referee Don Robertson
Attendance: 10,331
