Hibernian Dominates Dundee in Convincing Victory
Hibernian shook off any hint of a European hangover and imposed themselves from the first whistle, dictating the tempo and territory while Dundee chased shadows.
David Gray’s side owned the ball in the final third, recycling attacks and hemming the hosts in. The irritation came in the finishing. Nathan Lowe could not generate enough power on an early header, and Martin Boyle twice saw efforts come and go without reward as Hibs probed for the breakthrough their control demanded.
The pressure finally told. Boyle timed his run perfectly, stayed onside to meet a clipped pass from Grant Hanley and this time made no mistake, sliding the ball home to give Hibs the lead their dominance had been threatening.
He should have doubled it before the interval. Sent clear again, Boyle chose the delicate option, attempting a chip that drifted wide when a more ruthless touch would have buried Dundee before half-time.
Hibs did not ease off. The second goal painted a truer picture of the contest, underlining how completely they had seized command. Jamie McGrath and Felix Passlack began to toy with Dundee’s back line, repeatedly finding pockets of space and threatening to turn a comfortable evening into a rout before a late strike from Malachi Westley briefly unsettled the visitors.
Gray will want that same front-foot intent when Hibs welcome city rivals Hearts on Thursday night, but he will know they cannot afford such wastefulness in front of goal against last season’s Scottish Premiership runners-up.
First Half
For Steven Pressley and Dundee, the first half was grim. Beyond a wayward effort from Bradley Fink, they offered almost nothing to stir the home crowd. The shape looked loose, the press uncoordinated, the build-up play fractured.
Second Half
The restart brought a flicker of life. Joe Bevan finally began to influence the game, whipping in a delivery that flashed right across the face of goal and forced Passlack into a scrambling clearance. At 2-0 down, Lewis Hamilton forced Raphael Sallinger into action, hinting at a possible late twist.
Getting Bevan on the ball more often did help Dundee find some rhythm, yet they never rediscovered the sharp, direct attacking edge that had carried them to recent wins over Aberdeen and Dundee United. The absence of injured captain Simon Murray, watching on from the stand, underlined the energy and bite they are missing at the top end of the pitch.
Pressley has already flagged his wish to add attacking reinforcements and a central defender before Thursday’s transfer deadline. On this evidence, those priorities remain urgent, with another home test against Tayside rivals St Johnstone looming on Wednesday night.
“Over the course, there's no doubt Hibernian deserved to win,” Pressley admitted. “We looked a little bit disjointed. We weren't really cohesive in the way we wanted to press the game or cohesive in our build-up play. Hibernian came, they surprised us with a few things that they did. I didn't manage to find the right solutions. We have to take the medicine and respond.”
Gray, by contrast, left satisfied with both the reaction and the control his players showed.
“That's certainly the right way to bounce back,” the Hibs head coach said. “As a group, I thought we were outstanding and fully deserved the win. For 80 minutes, complete control, probably should've scored another goal to kill the game out completely. They get the goal right at the very end. The players found the answer to make sure we seen it out.”
Hibs now carry that answer, and that authority, straight into an Edinburgh derby that will ask a harsher question of their cutting edge.
