Hibs look top, top, top under Heckingbottom
hiBs 2
Kamberi (17), McNulty (38 pen)
hAmiLtoN ACCies 0
Hibs proved they’ve got the Hecks factor with a comfortable victory on their new manager’s Easter Road bow.
Paul Heckingbottom’s men were two-up on Hamilton Accies and cruising before half-time thanks to goals from Florian Kamberi and Marc McNulty.
The three points moved Hibs to within three points of sixth-placed St Johnstone.
And their manager last night insisted there was better to come. He said: “I’m really pleased with the result and lots of aspects of the performance.
“I couldn’t ask any more of the players in terms of their attitude and application.
“The clean sheet was pleasing as well.
“But there’s also things we want to improve on.
“We might have had two or three more goals on the break but we have to use that as a positive and play with a carefree attitude and fearlessness. It’ll make us an attacking team and make for entertaining games. But we still have to improve.”
Hibs’ new gaffer spoke at his unveiling of his desire to put an aggressive side on the park for the Easter Road punters.
But his approach to naming his first starting XI spoke of the softly, softly approach rather than the wielding of the proverbial axe.
In fielding the same side that disposed so professionally of Raith Rovers in the Scottish Cup last week, Heckingbottom gave a vote of confidence to his incumbent stars.
And after a tentative opening five minutes, they seized control.
Florian Kamberi was lively from the outset, and beat Hamilton keeper Gary Woods to a fizzing Daryl Horgan cross to put Hibs ahead 17 minutes in.
There were further glimpses of what a bustling, direct, deadly presence he can be; once when he outmuscled Woods to win another Horgan cross only to see his looping header bounce off the top of the bar and into the keeper’s arms, then, in the second half, when he superbly chested down a raking diagonal before launching a first-time effort which Accies blocked.
But then there were the same irritations; the heavy first touches, the overhit passes.
Accies, with their own new gaffer in Brian Rice patrolling the technical area, were set up to hurt Hibs.
Their two-pronged striking attack of David McMillan and George Oakley was supplemented by Tony Andreu.
However, Hibs were sharper to every ball in midfield – and thoroughly deserved to double their lead before the break.
Marc McNulty’s goal came from the penalty spot after Lennard Sowah cleaned out David Gray in the box.
The Hibees striker sent the keeper the wrong way – and his team went in at half-time chuffed that their efforts had been rewarded.
To their credit, Accies kept motoring, and had their moments in the second half, most notably when Mickel Miller beat Paul Hanlon twice before crashing a shot off the post, which Marciano then scooped away.
But Hibs, with Slivka and Milligan dominating the centre of the park, and Horgan, McNulty and Kamberi probing up top, were never in real danger.
Heckingbottom can be happy with his first Easter Road experience.
If his players are of a similar mind – and keep their performance levels this high – it might not be long until the fans are singing his name, the same way they once did Neil Lennon’s.