Killie smash and grab exposes Hibs’ failings
HIBERNIAN 2
Doidge (19), Bruce (66)
KILMARNOCK 2
Naismith (48), Del Fabro (90)
Jack Ross must have thought managing Hibs would be easy after notching two wins in his first two games.
But the way Kilmarnock plundered a late point at Easter Road suggested it may not be so straightforward.
The Hibees were utterly dominant for the opening hour against Killie, producing the kind of pacy, direct, attacking football their very best sides have been famed for.
They were 2-0 up and cruising.
But after Alex Bruce pulled one back out of nowhere, Hibs crumbled, and eventually coughed up a last-kick equaliser that stirred up bad memories of life under former gaffer Paul Heckingbottom.
In truth, they had been asking for it. And for Naismith, whose stunning strike ought to have been the talking point, the home side’s pain felt entirely self-inflicted.
“It was so disappointing to lose the manner of goal we did,” said the Hibs man.
“It’s something we need to look at going forward because it has happened a couple of times now. We should be seeing games out better than that.
“That’s maybe the first time the manager has seen that side of us.
“We played well for large spells but at the end we need to manage the game better.”
On paper, Killie looked the trickiest proposition yet for Jack Ross as Hibs boss.
But there was no early indication that his side’s preparations had been informed by respect for their opponents.
Instead Hibs came flying out of the traps and quickly established a pattern of total dominance. Killie, so ruthless and effective against Hearts last week, seemed powerless to resist Hibs’ relentless approach.
Their narrow midfield diamond danced beautifully across the pitch, creating angles and dragging opponents with them.
It was ironic, then, that when they claimed a deserved lead it was far from pretty.
Hibs owed more to the hapless Laurentiu Branescu than anything else for their opener, which arrived after he flapped wildly at Scott Allan’s cross.
That allowed the suddenly prolific Christian Doidge to nod home his sixth goal in four games. The Welshman now looks a player reborn with his bustling energy on full display.
That Killie went in at halftime just one goal behind was a surprise. That Hibs extended their lead just minutes after the restart was not.
Naismith was the man on the mark, collecting the lively Vykintas Slivka’s neat pass and firing high into the net after a l
But from nowhere,Killie found their feet.
They pulled one back when Bruce lashed home after Dario Del Fabro’s effort from a Chris Burke corner was blocked.
Thereafter, they continued to give Hibs something to think about, in a way they had failed to in the first half.
Time after time, the home side made bad choices in possession, sparking Killie attacks as they stumbled.
Visiting fans and players alike had their heads in their hands with five minutes to go when Burke was a stud length away from turning an in-swinging cross home at the back post – and again minutes later when Liam Miller just missed O’Donnell’s ball from the other flank.
But hands finally flew from heads into the air in wild celebration when Del Fabro swept home another O’Donnell cross deep into injury time to earn Killie a share of the spoils.