LENNY’S SLEEP OF FAITH
Hibees miss alarm call but bounce back to send Jags to the land of nod
Neil Lennon was chuffed after his side went sleepwalking into their top- flight return – and woke up in dreamland.
Goals from Martin Boyle, Steven Whittaker and Simon Murray earned them an impressive comefrom-behind win over Partick.
And Lenny even evoked the spirit of former mentor Martin O’Neill as he toasted a huge win for his Hibees.
The gaffer said: “As my old manager used to say we were astonishingly brilliant. We got a poor start and the atmosphere made us a bit drowsy.
“But the reaction from the team was fantastic and we dominated the game in terms of goal attempts. Our passing and our physical attributes were good. We beat a very good team so I’ve got to be thrilled.
“We are now looking like a big club again. To have such a huge crowd and go home with three points is all good – but it’s just the start.
“Simon Murray was superb and that will have given him a real shot of conf idence. Whittaker was brilliant, as were Ambrose and McGinn. The big players turned up.”
Prodigal son Whittaker was delighted to have marked his return to Easter Road after 10 years away with the crucial second goal.
The Edinburgh native, 33, said: “It was important to get off to a good start and going 1- 0 down early wasn’t ideal. But we grouped together and got a foothold before going on to dominate the game.
“The goal was instinctive. I just tried to hit it goalwards and I managed to find the corner. Some people were saying it maybe hit Simon on the way in but I’d like to claim it because I don’t get that many. I hadn’t scored since a penalty at Norwich last season.
“I always thought that, being an Edinburgh boy and starting my career at Hibs, it would be nice to come back one day. I’m 33 but I still want to win things.
“There’s a good feeling at the club from winning the Scottish Cup and then the Championship so it would be good to cont i nue that momentum into this season.” Hibs looked nervy at the start and the Jags took advantage in just seven minutes. St e v ie Lawle s s picked out Chris Erskine in the box and with the home defence posted missing he expertly guided the ball into the back of the net. That seemed to wake the Leith
men and new boy Danny Swanson was inches away from connecting with a loose ball before defender Niall Keown blootered clear.
Moments later Murray had his team’s first shot on target only for Tomas Cerny to smother. But they got their equaliser in 14 minutes.
Playmaker John McGinn burst through the middle and fed Murray. The striker miscontrol led but it hit off Danny Devine and into the path of Boyle who gleefully opened his team’s account for the season.
Midway through the half, Jags captain Abdul Osman executed a perfect tackle on Swanson, who was ready to pul l the trigger from 12 yards.
The Glasgow s ide suffered a real blow in 30 minutes when prolific striker Kris Doolan limped off injured, with youngster Kevin Nisbet taking his place. And there was a special moment for the home side three minutes later when homecoming hero Whittaker took a pass from Swanson in the box and with his first touch curled into the back of the net with the outside of his right boot. Hibs were enjoying it now and 90 seconds after the restart Swanson glided into the box before shooting straight at Cerny who den ied Murray seconds later. But it was 3-1 in 51 minutes, Murray smashing home from t he spot af t er exH ibee Callum Booth had fouled Boyle. The chances kept coming and in 62 minutes Boyle teed up Murray following a great pass out wide from McGinn but his shot hit the woodwork.
Thistle weren’t totally out of it and Nisbet saw his header from a Booth cross tipped over by Ofir Marciano.
There was a roar from the Hibs fans when 2016 Scottish Cup Final hero Anthony Stokes came off the bench to make his third debut for the club. And they were still smiling at the end of a memorable day.
Thistle boss Alan Archibald said: “It was a bright start and a good goal but I was disappointed with our reaction after Hibs equalised.
“Our decision- making and passing were slack and we invited unnecessary pressure on to ourselves. We didn’t make them work hard enough for their goals.
“Kr is Doolan tweaked his hamstring and hopefully there isn’t much damage. The forward area is part of the team we need to strengthen. We have space for two.”