Jack calls in special sources after benching wanted men
Boss thrilled with squad quality as side claim another away win
Jack Ross and Hibs showed there can still be life without Kevin Nisbet and Ryan Porteous.
The Easter Road pair have been big- money targets for Engl i sh Championship sides Birmingham Cit y and Millwall in this window.
Both were left on the bench at Tannadice ahead of the transfer window closing tomorrow night.
However, their Hibs team-mates brushed aside all the speculation as easy as Dundee United yesterday.
Goa l s f rom Da r r en McGregor and Martin Boyle helped the Easter Road outfit move to within one point of third-placed Aberdeen who drew at Livingston.
And delighted Ross said: “We have had a sticky period since Boxing Day so to get back to winning games is important for us.
“Our away record has been excellent this season and to continue that today is pleasing.
“The way the pitches are at the moment across the country, you have to do the ugly side of the game really wel l – and hope you have moments of quality.
“We have that within the squad.
“Both goals were good. Di f ferent goals from different sources but in terms of having that bit of quality to win matches, we had that today.
“We’ve been talking about controll ing our own destiny.
“Because we’re setting such high expectations, we’ve had disappointments and they maybe get magnified a little bit more.”
It was another damaging defeat for Micky Mel lon’s United and St Mirren’s shock win over Celtic pushed them out of the top six.
They are now seven without a win and confidence is clearly draining out of the tangerine and black ranks, after a solid start under Mellon.
United welcomed Calum Butcher, Jeando Fuchs and Benjamin Siegrist back from injury, with Ian Harkes, Dillon Powers and Deniz Mehmet dropping to the bench.
Hibs boss Ross also made changes and showed a bit of caution when he left striker Nisbet, who is wanted by Birmingham City, and Millwall target centre- half Ryan Porteous on the bench in case there were any late deadline transfers agreed.
Boyle, Rangers loanee Jamie Murphy and Paul Hanlon came in to the starting XI with Melker Hallberg also benched for the Hibees.
Butcher had the game’s first effort with a long shot that took a def lection and forced Hibs keeper Ofir Marciano to push it over the crossbar.
Hibs started to show more attacking threat.
Boyle’s corner was met by the head of McGregor and fell to the grounded Alex Gogic who tried to turn it in but United striker Nicky Clark was there to block.
The visitors, however, took the lead in the 21st minute.
Boyle’s corner was headed towards goal by Paul McGinn and brilliantly pushed away by keeper Siegrist.
Jackson Irvine won it back and pulled it back to the edge of the box for McGregor to thump high into the net.
The home team did link up well at times in the front areas and Lawrence Shankland and Luke Bolton combined to give Clark a sight of goal but he fired well wide.
And Mellon’s United came out with more attacking intent after the break.
Clark’s corner was headed out to Fuchs but his shot from distance was just wide.
A decent move from Irvine found Murphy wide and his inviting cross was just missed by Christian Doidge as it curled across the six-yard box.
Shankland then let fly and his shot deflected off McGregor forcing Israeli keeper Marciano into a decent stop.
Hibs moved to snuff out the threat and put United’s hopes down under in the 69th minute.
Irvine played in fel low Australian international Boyle and he curled low past the outrushing Siegrist.
Uni ted were undone midweek by a couple of penalties and they should have had one in this game when young Josh Doig handled to take it away from Shankland.
But referee Gavin Duncan and his off icials fai led to spot it.
That could have changed the course of this game but instead Hibs were able to see it out with a decent cushion.