HIBERNIAN'S troubled start to the season continued with an uninspiring and insipid display away to Queen of the South which left Alan Stubbs' side fourth bottom of the Championship, 10 points adrift of leaders Hearts.

A first-half strike by Ian McShane maintained Queens' unbeaten home league record this term and further enhanced James Fowler's credentials for the manager's post at Palmerston Park on a permanent basis.

Queens have only lost once in the league this season, going down 4-2 to Rangers at Ibrox. It is form which has seen them edge into a healthy fourth spot in the division. Fowler said: "I'm planning to speak to the board this week and we will we how we get on. Four points from two games and I know the group well. I know there is a lot of interest, but hopefully I've shown I'm ready for this role."

Yesterday was the first time these two clubs had met in the league for 50 years, since March 1964 to be exact. In the intervening years Hibs have been relegated three times, bouncing back as champions on the previous three occasions.

If they are to achieve a hat-trick of titles then Stubbs' Edinburgh outfit are going to have to find a consistency which so far this term has escaped them. Queens took just three minutes to threaten when a long ball by goalkeeper Zander Clark was headed on by Andy Dowie, but Gavin Reilly's 18-yard volley was well held by Hibs keeper Mark Oxley.

They should have gone ahead in 28 minutes when McShane swung over a free-kick from the left which was knocked on by Reilly. However, the unmarked Dowie blasted over from 10 yards.

One minute later, however, there was to be no reprieve for the Easter Road side. Scott Robertson was robbed by Reilly, and he linked with Iain Russell who charged through on the left. His cut back was drilled home beyond Oxley from 12 yards by McShane with the Hibs defence sliced apart.

Hibs appeared bereft of ideas, but in 59 minutes Matthew Kennedy drove over a cross from the left which found Paul Hanlon, but his flashing near- post header went just over. It offered a brief glimmer of hope for the Edinburgh side.

Queens should have wrapped up the victory 10 minutes from time when Russell somehow managed to head over the bar from six yards after the Hibs defence was again badly exposed on the counter-attack.

A dejected Stubbs said: "There is a responsibility on us to win more games.

"The players need to step up and realise teams are going to get 10 men behind the ball. We must show we have the quality to break them down."