Hibernian Dominates Dundee in Convincing Win
Hibernian shook off any trace of a European hangover and took charge from the first whistle, dictating tempo and territory while Dundee chased shadows for long spells.
David Gray’s side moved the ball with purpose, pinning the hosts back and working promising angles around the box. The problem, at least early on, was the final act. Nathan Lowe met a cross but couldn’t generate the power to trouble the goalkeeper, and Martin Boyle saw a couple of efforts come and go without reward as Hibs probed for a breakthrough that felt inevitable.
When it arrived, it was classic Boyle. Timing his run perfectly, he stayed onside to latch on to a Grant Hanley pass and this time finished with conviction. Relief, not surprise, swept through the Hibs ranks. They had been in control; now the scoreline finally admitted it.
Boyle should have doubled his tally before the interval. Sent through again, he opted for a delicate chip rather than a driven finish and watched, exasperated, as the ball skipped past the post. It was the only thing about Hibs’ first half that looked remotely wasteful.
After the restart, the second goal finally matched the pattern of the contest. Hibs’ dominance told, and the visitors tightened their grip. Jamie McGrath and Felix Passlack both carried a real threat, buzzing into dangerous areas and hinting at a scoreline that might have buried Dundee long before the closing stages. When the second went in, the game looked close to done.
Then came the Westley goal to drag a sliver of doubt into the evening. It did not quite spark a full Dundee revival, but it did expose the one nagging concern for Gray: for all their control, his side had left the door ajar.
Hearts arrive at Easter Road on Thursday night, and Gray knows this level of attacking intent must be matched by a sharper edge in front of goal against last season’s Scottish Premiership runners-up. The performance here was encouraging. The finishing, at times, less so.
For Steven Pressley and Dundee, the first half was grim viewing. Beyond Bradley Fink dragging a shot wide, they offered almost nothing to stir the home support. Disjointed out of possession and blunt with it, they never really laid a glove on Hibs before the break.
The second half brought improvement. Joe Bevan began to influence the game, his delivery flashing right across the face of goal at one point and forcing Passlack into an emergency clearance. At 2-0 down, Hamilton finally forced Raphael Sallinger into meaningful work, testing the Hibs goalkeeper and hinting at the spirit that had underpinned recent wins over Aberdeen and Dundee United.
Bevan’s increased involvement helped Dundee find a bit of rhythm, but they never fully rediscovered the attacking verve of those victories. The absence of injured captain Simon Murray, watching from the stand, underlined exactly what they were missing at the top end of the pitch: energy, movement, and a focal point.
Pressley had already flagged that as a priority area before the match, along with central defence, with the transfer deadline looming on Thursday. This display only hardened that stance. His team need help.
“Over the course, there's no doubt Hibernian deserved to win,” the Dundee manager admitted. “We looked a little bit disjointed. We weren't really cohesive in the way we wanted to press the game or cohesive in our build-up play. Hibernian came, they surprised us with a few things that they did. I didn't manage to find the right solutions. We have to take the medicine and respond.”
Gray, by contrast, could reflect on a response delivered. “That's certainly the right way to bounce back,” the Hibs head coach said. “As a group, I thought we were outstanding and fully deserved the win. For 80 minutes, complete control, probably should've scored another goal to kill the game out completely. They get the goal right at the very end. The players found the answer to make sure we seen it out.”
Another home test now looms for Dundee, with Tayside rivals St Johnstone visiting on Wednesday night. With the window closing and issues laid bare, Pressley must decide how bold he is willing to be to prevent this season from drifting before it has truly begun.
