FOOTBALL matches at Easter Road are not often greeted warmly by supporters.
This is true of victories too, the cool celebrations after Hibernian collected three points yesterday as much a product of the team's unreliable home form as the chilling temperature in Edinburgh.
The pitch has at times seemed like tundra on which the club's promotion ambitions struggle to survive, the visit of Alloa Athletic becoming just the third home league game in which Hibs have triumphed this season.
Dominique Malonga, back in the starting XI after suspension, twice failed to put the Edinburgh side ahead in the opening 25 minutes, first having the ball smothered at his feet by goalkeeper Craig McDowall and then shooting against Kyle Benedictus. There was a chance too for Scott Robertson when he cantered into the penalty area after 35 minutes, only for McDowall to block his shot.
Indeed, Hibs' goals owed more to fortune than endeavour. Alloa first allowed Jason Cummings to stride on to a loose ball on the edge of the penalty area and direct a shot at goal. McDowall could only parry it towards Danny Handling who stretched to lift the ball into the net after 28 minutes.
It took until the 73rd minute for Hibs to add a second. Robertson fizzed a pass across goal which Malonga was unable to control but his touch caused the ball to loop over McDowall.
Those goals were enough for Hibs to register a win, if not to convince supporters that they have settled sufficiently at Easter Road, with their last home victory having come on September 13.
"Our away from has been very good but out home form needs to be better," head coach Alan Stubbs said. "Hopefully this can be a catalyst for us. We've not played badly at home, we've just not got over the line in the past."
The question of Hibs' resolve has perhaps been answered in part by low attendances. Only 8031 fans watched them overcome Alloa side yesterday, albeit a statistic diminished by a small, if defiant, visiting support.
Unable to call upon leading scorer Liam Buchanan through injury, Alloa instead appeared reliant on playing passes over Hibs' defence for Greig Spence to chase.
It was a tactic which proved routinely unsuccessful but the part-time side were invited to persist with this trial-and-error approach since they were rarely punished by their hosts.
In the second half Cummings struck one shot wide of the target and sent another wider still. Liam Craig miss-hit a volley; and Liam Fontaine directed a header straight at McDowall before Malonga scored.
"The disappointing thing is we didn't show the same belief that we have in previous games," said Recreation Park manager Barry Smith.
"When we had the ball we had to have that wee bit more belief to show more of what we're capable of doing."
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