NEIL Lennon has been in this movie before and he is growing visibly weary of it. For the second successive week the Hibernian head coach saw his players create, and spurn, numerous decent opportunities.

Jason Cummings was the primary culprit and Lennon did not mince his words in a stinging critique of the striker.

For the second successive week, Hibs were reduced to 10 men in the second half. On this occasion Lewis Stevenson was the unlikely offender, receiving his marching orders for just the second time in his decade as a first-team player at Easter Road.

On the plus side for Lennon’s team, they did not capitulate in the manner they did in last weekend’s 2-1 home loss to Ayr United.

Queen of the South, for their part, competed admirably, and any notion that they are merely keeping top place in the SPFL Championship table warm for Lennon’s title favourites was dispelled as they went toe-to-toe with the Easter Road side in atrocious conditions in Dumfries.

“My attacking players were poor and this needs to be addressed,” said a frustrated Lennon. “Jason missed two gilt-edged chances – a header from five yards, and one from a corner where the ball dropped to him two yards from goal. All he had to do was make decent contact and we would have been a goal up.

“We should be doing better in the final third. These chances all seem to fall to Jason. He is a good goalscorer but, if he isn’t scoring goals, then he isn’t bringing much to the team at the minute. He needs to do better.

“We are dominating games and creating chances and the vast majority come to Jason. So, we can also ask the others ‘where are you? Why is everything falling to Jason?’.”

Somewhat predictably, it was former Hibs forward Dobbie who was the first to threaten, producing a marvellous pass to send Dale Hilson scampering through on goal, but Ofir Marciano made a fine save with his legs.

Cummings then nodded David Gray’s delivery straight into the arms of Lee Robinson from point-blank range. Hibs went closest to breaking the deadlock as the break approached, with Gray heading wide and Brian Graham fizzing a low shot narrowly off target.

Cummings’ second golden opportunity came after the interval when a John McGinn corner kick fell kindly just six yards from goal, but the Scotland under-21 player couldn’t sort out his feet quickly enough to get a shot away.

Any momentum Hibs had was quelled when Stevenson was shown a second yellow card for hauling down Hilson, having been cautioned before the interval for crashing through Jamie Hamill.

Lennon said: “Once again, we were down to 10 men for a long period of the game and I’m not convinced it was a red card. Lewis didn’t push the boy [Hilson], he just put his hand out, and he was going down any way.”

Queens pushed for a winner, but their best chance, a close-range effort from Hilson was superbly parried clear by Marciano.

Home manager Gavin Skelton said: “I’m really pleased with that result. With the week we have had, conceding five against Rangers, to show that attitude and those fitness levels was absolutely fantastic.”