HIBS should know by now how much of a quagmire the Ladbrokes Championship can become. It is three seasons and counting since Tony Andreu, then of Hamilton Accies, scored the goal at this venue which sent the Easter Road club into Scotland's second tier via the play-offs. Now a Norwich City player, he returned to the scene of the crime yesterday in the colours of his loan side Dundee United to inflict further frustration on the Leith side.
With all their closest challengers slipping up on Saturday, this was Hibs' big chance to claim leadership of the division ahead of the international break. But if they hadn't consigned the terminology to the history books so spectacularly with their Scottish Cup final win back in May, you might say they Hibs-ed it. A few sporadic boos rang out around this ground after they squandered a first half lead to record their third successive league match without a win.
No wonder Neil Lennon cut a fairly livid figure afterwards. Having gone ahead just after the half hour with a fine goal from the blame-free James Keatings, the Northern Irishman was correct to insist that he had enough quality on the park yesterday both to score more goals on the day and make a better fist of defending the disputed corner which led to William Edjenguele's headed equaliser from a rare Dundonian foray upfield.
“It is frustrating but that has been the story for the last couple of games now," said Lennon. “We were in total control and then, all of a sudden, we get really slack under no pressure. We had opportunities to go 2-0 up and that would have killed the game as we were so far in the ascendancy. But we let teams back in and it’s our own fault. We want to get out of this division and the players have to deal with the expectation better than they are showing at the minute.
"It is also a source of frustration we conceded from a set play," he added. "With the height we have in the team we should be doing a lot better. We have so many corners and don’t convert them. Teams get one or two and score. That is something we have to address. We had an opportunity today after other teams dropped points. It’s basically as you were from last week and that’s annoyed me.”
The rare presence of the Sky Sports cameras for a second-tier match signalled this was no ordinary championship match-up. Hibs in particular are blessed with a squad which would not look out of place in the top flight but Neil Lennon had a few personnel issues yesterday. He moved Paul Hanlon out to left back in place of the suspended Lewis Stevenson and lost captain David Gray shortly after half time, after the right back injured his groin colliding with his own goalkeeper.
His opposite number Ray McKinnon, minus injured midfielders Willo Flood and Stewart Murdoch, tinkered with his formation and went with Simon Murray up front, a player who was highly prized by Hibs this summer. While his first-half plan was to keep things tight defensively and hit on the counter attack was unable to manufacture a single shot on target, at least he had the wherewithal to switch things around. On from the bench came Cammy Smith, Charlie Telfer and Tope Obadeyi and when Scott Fraser swung over a corner, from a ball which should perhaps have been a goal kick, the giant Frenchman's first in Dundee United colours allowed them to return to Tayside with a share of the points. While they still sit five points back in the table, it was a signal that United retain genuine title ambitions and their only real black spot on the day was the loss of defensive midfield mainstay Lewis Toshney with a suspected broken ankle.
In addition to his fine striker's goal from a sweet Andrew Shinnie through pass, the lively Keatings struck the angle of post and bar with an early free-kick and forced a late save from Cammy Bell. Hanlon also spurned a glorious chance to extend the home side's lead in the second half, but most of Hibs flair players didn't do enough to ensure that they won this match. "We knew that we could go top of the table and we have failed at that," said John McGinn. "It is unfortunate now that we have to weeks to mull over it."
McKinnon was rather more content with the outcome. "I'm pleased with the point," said the United manager. "Hibs know what it’s like to be in this division as it's their third year. They know that every team raises their game against them. Every team we have played has played out of their skin again us so everybody will find it difficult against everyone else. It will be a competitive league right to the end of the season I’m sure."
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Hibernian 1
Keatings 34
Dundee United 1
Edjenguele 67
Hibernian (4-4-2): Marciano; Gray (Eardley 45), McGregor, Forster, Hanlon; Fyvie; McGeouch, McGinn; Shinnie (Boyle 76); Cummings (Graham 76), Keatings.
Subs not used: Laidlaw, Bartley, Holt, Boyle, Eardley, Graham, Harris
Dundee United (4-1-4-1): Bell; Van der Struijk, Durnan, Edjenguele, Dixon; Toshney (Telfer 54); Spittal, Andreu, Fraser, Van der Velden (Smith 57); Murray (Obadeyi 65).
Subs not used: Dillon, Donaldson, Obadeyi, Telfer, Smith, Zwick, Robson
Referee: C Thomson
Attendance: 15,492
Booked: Hibernian. Fyvie 88. Dundee United: Van den Struijk 58
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