HIBERNIAN are being just so unlike themselves.

Lethal in front of goal, not afraid to take on shots from distance and showing, dare it be said, the bottle to take on Rangers in this race for promotion. They are delivering when before they too often flattered to deceive.

On the back of their last three performances, wins over the Ibrox men, Dundee United in the cup and now St Mirren, you would get short odds on Hibs finishing in the top two.

James Keatings scored a fine hat-trick against a wretched St Mirren side, but it was Liam Henderson, on-loan from Celtic, who has brought a touch of class to Alan Stubbs’ side. The manager is delighted with the way things are going.

“It’s been a good few weeks,” said Stubbs. “We are playing good football, not just with the ball, but without it. They have a real desire to win it back. We have great unity.

“Liam played well and has ability. That is unquestionable so he’s getting better and better. He still takes risks in his final third which is no good for my blood pressure, but he is young and has a great understanding of the game.”

Fast and fun to watch from the start, we had two goals before ten minutes had been and gone.

First up was the home side who actually began well. On eight minutes, a Stephen Mallon corner was touched by a few on its way to Sean Kelly who accurately aimed his shot past Mark Oxley in goal.

Hibs from kick-off went straight up the park and equalised. They patiently passed the ball around the St Mirren box, Henderson’s smart one-touch pass put the onside Jason Cummings in ten yards from goal and his fine form meant he was never going to pass up such a simple opportunity.

The visitors took the lead on 37 minutes and you will struggle to witness a more intelligent set-piece all season. From a free-kick a fair distance from goal, Henderson shaped to cross and instead played a reverse pass to Keatings, which utterly wrong footed St Mirren’s defence, and the Hibs man was able to get the ball past Jamie Langfield while sliding along the ground.

And on 41 minutes, all the St Mirren keeper could do was watch helplessly as Keatings curved his shot into the top corner from the edge of the box.

How St Mirren lasted to 78 minutes without conceding another was down to Langfield and some desperate defending, which in time brought the Edinburgh side a penalty when Cameron Howieson tripped Henderson inside the box.

Keatings got to keep the match ball after dispatching the penalty for his third.

Ian Murray, the St Mirren manager, is six months into the job and, unless results pick up, it will be hard to see him staying on much longer if he cannot get his team away from the bottom three, which is where they current sit.

He said: “What has gone wrong? I don't want to pinpoint players but there are young guys who have lost confidence.

"The home form has being going on for two years, it's not just the last seven or eight games. We need to get it properly sorted out.

"Our next game here is against Morton and they will come to our place smelling blood and wanting to put a nail in the coffin."