St Mirren: Samson; van Zanten, McAusland, Goodwin, Dummett; McLean (McGinn 59), Newton (Imrie 81); Carey (Guy 59), McGowan, Goncalves; Thompson Subs not used: Adam, Barron, Parkin, Mair Booked: McAusland 64 Hibernian: Williams; Stevenson, McPake, Hanlon, McGivern; Done (Wotherspoon 74), Taiwo, Claros, Robertson, Cairney (Doyle 83); Griffiths (Caldwell 86) Subs not used: Murdoch, Maybury, Handling, Forster Booked: Stevenson 17, Claros 82 Referee: W Collum Att: 4524
HIBERNIAN and Leigh Griffiths continue to torment St Mirren. This was a third victory of the season for Pat Fenlon's side against the team from Paisley, the only goal of the game again coming from their talismanic on-loan striker. In Griffiths' tally of 17 for the campaign, five have come against Danny Lennon's side. "He's definitely not on my mates' list," said Marc McAusland, the St Mirren defender, wryly.
How Hibs needed this victory, their first on the road since late November and only their second in the league in 11 games.
It was a scrappy affair of few chances, eventually settled by a 72nd-minute penalty. There seemed little contact from Jim Goodwin on Matt Done as the pair contested Tom Taiwo's cross, but the on-loan Barnsley winger tumbled and referee Willie Collum pointed to the spot.
Done seemed as surprised as anyone that the coming-together had led to a penalty. "I think it was a harsh one," he said. "There was contact, it wasn't a dive. But it was definitely soft."
"Jim's adamant it wasn't a penalty," added McAusland. "It looked really soft, but the ref's given it and that's cost us."
Griffiths' finish was clinical, rolling the ball past Craig Samson to earn his team a win their overall play probably merited. Hibs, despite recent disquiet from their supporters, now sit fourth in the league table and this performance, five days after a 3-1 capitulation to St Johnstone, drew praise from their manager.
"We were much better today, and our shape was excellent from start to finish," said Fenlon. "We passed the ball really well, particularly in the first half. We made it difficult for St Mirren to break us down and they didn't create loads of chances."
This was a second consecutive game in which St Mirren failed to score, the result ending a four-game undefeated sequence. They were surprisingly lacklustre in attack, Hibs goalkeeper Ben Williams having one of his quietest games for some time. With his team's appearance in the Scottish Communities League Cup final a month away, Lennon will be hoping they rediscover their scoring form, and soon.
"To make the goalkeeper only make one save is very, very disappointing," said the St Mirren manager. "It's very uncharacteristic that you have a group of players and 11 have an off-day."
Hibs had shaded a humdrum first half, with Griffiths the player who came closest to finding a goal, darting past two defenders before firing in a shot that crashed against the near post.
St Mirren, missing Gary Teale's inventiveness, created few opportunities, a Paul Dummett header bouncing across the face of the goal. As half-time approached, a bustling run and shot from Esmael Goncalves ended with a smart save from Williams, the only one he would be required to make.
The assumption that the second half could only be an improvement turned out to be somewhat misplaced. St Mirren saw more of the ball, but created next to nothing with it. Hibs were only marginally more adventurous, Taiwo heading wide from Done's cross before Griffiths tested Samson with a free kick that he saved comfortably, before the penalty that proved pivotal, despite Goodwin's protests.
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