Hibs returned to winning ways with a comprehensive 4-0 victory over Livingston at Easter Road this afternoon.
David Gray made three changes to his starting XI with record signing Thibault Klidje starting up front for for just the second time in the league.
Nicky Cadden and Jamie McGrath also started with Martin Boyle dropping to the bench along with Josh Campbell and Jordan Obita.
Livingston make two changes from their draw at Tannadice with Macaulay Tait and Lewis Smith making way for Shane Blaney and Jeremy Bokila.
Former Hibs striker Dirk Lehman delivered the match ball ahead of kick off and players from both sides held up Show Racism the Red Card signs.
After a lively start Hibs opened the scoring in the 9th minute.
Dan Barlaser picked up the ball in midfield and found Klidje with his back to goal. The striker managed to hold off Mo Sylla before firing the ball high into the roof of the net from an acute angle.
Moments later Klidje tried his luck again but was crowded out by the victors’ defence.
Kieron Bowie almost added a second with a volley which flew inches past the post.
A long ball from Raphael Sallinger caught out the Livingston defence but Klidje’s effort went wide.
Just before the break Klidje’s wonderful pass split the Livingston defence finding Nicky Cadden at the back post but his effort flew high over the bar.
David Martindale has made a triple substitution for the start of the second half. Danny Wilson, Scott Pittman and Connor McLennan were replaced by Cristian Montano, Macaulay Tait, and Robbie Muirhead.
Hibs started the second half on the front foot and the Livingston keeper Jerome Prior produced two great saves to deny Jamie McGrath then Bowie.
Seven minutes after the restart substitute Montano clearly pulled Klidje’s jersey and referee Ryan Lee pointed to the spot.
McGrath calmly rolled the ball into the bottom corner as Prior dived the other way.
A Grant Hanley header from a corner was cleared off the line as hbs pressed for a third.
Gray then replaced Bowie and Klidje with Boyle and Junior Hoilett. Both strikers left the field to a standing ovation.
The substitutions paid immediate dividends when Hoilett headed home a Chris cadden cross from the right to wrap things up.
In the last minute Hoilett added his second and once again Chris Cadden provided the assist.
The victory meant Hibs moved back up to third place.
After the final whistle Gray told BBC Scotland: “Everything I asked for we saw. The big thing was the reaction to losing our first game of the season and we did it in the perfect way.
“Four goals, a clean sheet and we could have had more. The biggest thing I asked for was intensity and I got that from the start.
“The subs came on and made us better, which is the challenge for them. It’s a really good day’s work.”
Martindale added : “Architects of our own downfall. We lose a goal on eight minutes from poor decision-making. We had started the game ok, but we’re lucky to go in 1-0 down at half-time.
“Hibs exploited our left-hand channel. We changed shape and the [enforced] substitutions didn’t help to be fair. We had to put a patchwork defence together.
“Then first five minutes [of the second half] we make a terrible decision. Cris [Montano] makes a really really poor decision [for the penalty]. And at that point the game is gone.”
Hibernian: Sallinger, O’Hora, Hanley, Iredale, C Cadden, Mulligan, Barlaser, McGrath, N Cadden, Bowie, Klidje.
Substitutes: Smith, Levitt, Youan, Boyle, Chaiwa, Obita, Hoilett, Campbell, Bushiri.
Livingston: Prior, Finlayson, Sylla, Wilson, Blaney, Montgomery, Pittman, Susoho, McLennan, May, Bokila.
Substitutes: Hamilton, Muirhead, Carey, Winter, Shinnie, Tait, Yengi, Montano, Lawal.
Attendance 17,947
John graduated from Telford College in 2010 with an HNC in Practical Journalism and since then he worked for the North Edinburgh News, The Southern Reporter, the Irish News Review and The Edinburgh Reporter. In addition he has been published in the Edinburgh Evening News and the Hibernian FC Programme.
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