Kilmarnock don finally collect dia first Scottish Premiership win of di season, and di victory na hard-fought one for Easter Road as e hand Hibernian dia sixth home league defeat in a row.
Di manager Neil McCann bin dey under pressure before di match. Him side bin sit on one point after four games and dem lose to 10-man Aberdeen for League Cup penalty shootout on Saturday. But for Leith, Kilmarnock earn one brilliant win, dia first in more than 12 years, thanks to George Stanger stab from close range just before half-time.
Truth be tell, e fit and suppose don be more. Joe Hugill get several chances, put one into side-netting and anoda one dem save well well at close range. Him also tap one in after Greg Kiltie cross, but after celebration, di goal dem rule out for offside earlier for di play.
Two contentious penalty decisions go di way of di hosts. Both Tyreece John-Jules and Hugill had dia shirts pulled inside di box for separate incidents – Hugill when him bin clear through – but referee no call foul for either.
If Hibs want get anything from di game, e for don be down to goalkeeper Raphael Sallinger and midfield talisman Josh Mulligan, wey be heart of everything for di hosts. But despite dia best efforts, no way back into di match, even though Djenairo Daniels see late red card following two silly bookings.
Pressure now shift to Hibs head coach David Gray as him side drop to ninth and continue dia dreadful home run. McCann go happy, of course, but him know say this one for fit be far, far easier. Kilmarnock had di ball for back of net twice – one ruled out – but e suppose don be more. Eight shots, six on target, an xG of 1.61, yet na centre-back Stanger be hero.
Dem even had to play final few minutes with 10 men, after Daniels second yellow card following two daft bookings. And when goalkeeper Max Stryjek go down for added time, indicating say him need come off with injury, Kilmarnock fans must don think say world dey conspire against dem. But dem hold on, and dem deserve am.
While Hibs get dia moments after break, second half largely dominated by visitors. Na di kind performance McCann promise before match, as him talk of seeing positive signs for previous weeks when many don start write dem off. Dem head so many crosses away, dem break at pace through di superb Erik Ring, dem put Hibs under tremendous pressure, but dem just lack small more ruthlessness.
With small more confidence, that killer instinct fit come, and dem now get chance to make am six points against di capital sides with game against Hearts on Saturday.
Mulligan be notable absentee from Scotland head coach Sebastian Pocognoli first squad, and him get another impressive performance against Kilmarnock. More touches inside opposition box pass any of him team-mates, him fire off four shots as him burst forward. But e no be only that: him win possession back six times, win eight of him 13 duels, win two of him three tackles. All of that na to tell you, e be another industrious, all-action performance from di jewel inside Hibs midfield. But him colleagues let am down badly, badly.
Apart from Sallinger, that is. Di Austrian make six saves as him continually repel Kilmarnock, and mainly Joe Hugill. For first half, Hibs play tidy stuff but for either box di standard woeful. At di back, hesitant – and at times statuesque – defending dem let off by questionable refereeing decisions and an offside. Dem badly need Owen Elding back to get di goals flowing again. Him only fit enough to come off bench.
Hibernian head coach David Gray tell BBC Scotland: ‘It’s clear to see, not good enough in terms of the result. Kilmarnock defended their box a lot better than we did. We gave up too many chances and some of our defending wasn’t good enough, that’s why we lost the game. The only way it turns is by putting yourself out there, sticking together and believing in yourself and trusting your ability. One thing I will continue to do is work as hard as I can to turn this around. I’ve been through adversity before at this football club and I will continue until someone tells me otherwise. I believe in my group and believe in what we’re doing.’
Kilmarnock head coach Neil McCann tell BBC Scotland: ‘Sometimes from the outside it’s easy to not find positives, because of our points and the goals against us. But hopefully we’ve found a positive tonight. We know as staff how hard those boys are working. It’s difficult when you’re conceding goals and not winning games but, my God, they kept going tonight. They showed there’s a bit of steel in there as well. We were asked so many difficult questions tonight. At 2-0 up, it’s taken away from us. A stonewall penalty on Joe Hugill, which would have been a red card, we don’t get it. Our character has been tested. The fans were asking questions and voicing their displeasure at times. But we stood up to it. Nobody can say we didn’t deserve it.’
