HIBERNIAN are rebuilding one piece at a time.
After the Edinburgh side last week recorded their first clean sheet since May 18, they are now attending to their rather meek attack. A win against St Johnstone was always going to seem significant to a side whose supporters had lost patience with them before the league campaign had even started, but the scoreline will also seem notable as it was a result of a more plausible threat.
Paul Heffernan and James Collins both scored their first goals since arriving at the club, while St Johnstone were disturbed later by the introduction of substitute Abdellah Zoubir. Hibs supporters salivated as the on-loan Istres winger dribbled during the last 11 minutes of the game, but the partnership of Heffernan and Collins had already served up something more substantial, especially so in light of the fact that the away side had scored just three times all season.
Hibs had actually fallen behind before Heffernan struck, but they looked capable of responding. And so it proved, when Scott Robertson planted a shot on to the base of a post and his new team-mate steered the rebound casually into the net. Collins' finish in the second half looked less comfortable - goalkeeper Alan Mannus got a hand to it, but could not stop the ball bouncing over the line - but the goal was celebrated with all the enthusiasm of a forward who has enjoyed very little change in matches after a £200,000 transfer from Swindon Town.
The Englishman will have appreciated the addition of Heffernan more than most, then, since the Irishman allows Hibs to be more calculating in forward areas. His inclination to drop into space to link play in Perth invited Collins to operate further forward than he has done previously. "Both Rowan Vine and James want to play off the shoulder and get in behind," said manager Pat Fenlon. "Paul is different and looks to link play. We've got some decent forwards at the club now so we've got to make sure that we kick on with them."
Meanwhile, the young forward who opened the scoring for the home side, Stevie May, is now looking every inch a Premiership striker. This has not been at the expense of his image; May still sports his familiar mop of hair, but now it is pulled back in a ponytail which drapes on to brawny shoulders capable of carrying weighty expectation.
That has become heavier still in recent weeks, since a defeat yesterday has left St Johnstone without a victory in six league matches. Such statistics are allowed to seem less significant so early in a campaign, of course, and and for now there will probably be more focus on the positives of May's performances than the negatives of his team's predicament. The St Johnstone No 17 scored the opening goal after 17 minutes - a deft touch allowing him to swivel past Michael Nelson and a stiffer one sending the ball into the net.
He carries himself with a rare confidence. One such run almost brought his side a second goal when he shrugged off Paul Hanlon on the right of the penalty area before rolling a backheel to Paddy Cregg. The St Johnstone midfielder shot wide, though. "We had opportunities, but I think we were wasteful," said manager Tommy Wright.
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