Hibernian 4
Dundee 0
League (Premier League)

Match Report

When Dundee went out of the Scottish Cup at Easter Road in January, Hibs striker Garry O'Connor had a desperate day in front of goal.

Despite leading their line well, he couldn't put away any of the several chances which came his way, here, however, it was a very different here. story

Much better marshalled by the Dundee defence for most of this match, he got just two opportunities, but despatched them both into the net.

On both of the previous two visits to Leith this season, Hibs had threatened to give Dundee a real doing, so it was ironic that the slaughter finally arrived in a match which wasn't nearly as one-sided as the scoreline suggests.

Joel Kitamirike came in for his debut in the absence of Brent Sancho, and young Aaron Conway was on the bench for the first time.

The first half saw little between the teams and it was Dundee who could have been ahead within the first minute.

Caballero picked up the ball from a Kitamirike header, shrugged off an opponent's challenge before sliding a through ball to Lovell.

He rounded keeper Brown, but was forced wide and steadied himself to cross only for Whittaker to clear from under his own bar to deny the in- rushing Barrett. Five minutes later, it was the Argentinean himself who tried his luck, jinking wide on the left he flicked a ball inside and Brown did well to save as the effort was deflected goalwards.

Hibs hit back and just sixty seconds later with Steven Robb making the first of several vital first half clearances when he superbly intercepted Riordan's cross with O'Connor lurking.

Robb came to the rescue again in 13 minutes when Murray's great ball freed Morrow. As he shot, Robb got in a fantastic saving tackle.

Three minutes later it was Barry Smith's turn to block as he denied Riordan who had looked likely to net after Soutar had parried O'Connor's angled effort.

Play swung back to the other end and Steve Lovell was glad to see the offside flag as he missed horrendously from five yards after being set free by Caballero's flick on with his head.

Caballero was involved in all that was good about an encouraging start from Dundee and he fed Fotheringham at the start of a flowing move, midway through the half, which ended with Lovell tucking the ball home from 15 yards, this time the offside flag wasn't so welcome.

On 27 minutes, Dundee were behind. O'Connor was involved at the start and finish, dinking a pass over the defence and when Soutar parried Riordan's effort, he was on hand to hit home Four minutes later, Dundee should have been level and Caballero was again at the centre of the move. Robbing Murray on the half way line, he surged forward and released Tam McManus. It could have been a dream. moment for the striker, but the ball wouldn't fall kindly for him and Brown easily saved his weak effort. The interval arrived with Hibs, somewhat fortunate to be ahead, but they would soon be much more comfortable. Just two after the minutes. re-start, Whittaker ran at the heart of the Dees back line and played a one-two with O'Connor before lashing the return into the roof of the net from
ten-yards.

It was a near repeat of his goal in the Scottish Cup tie, and although well worked from a home point of view, it was poor defending from Dundee.

Dundee should soon have reduced the deficit. Fotheringham won the ball superbly and fed McManus on the left and his cut-back found the unmarked Lovell, but his attempted finish was woeful, going out for a throw in on the far side of the park.

With quarter of an hour left Hibs made sure of the points with substitute Brown and Fletcher combining, the former crossing for the latter to head home.

A minute later, O'Connor completed an afternoon of expert finishing from Hibs when he strode past a static defence to latch onto sub' Konte's pass and ram home the fourth.

Those two goals put a lopsided slant on the scoreline, but demonstrated the quality of this Hibs side, they actually played much better for a long spell of the 4-4 draw in the first meeting of the season than they did here, but the young Hibees are a much more efficient side then they were then.

News of Hearts' defeat at Motherwell brought cheers from the home sections of the crowd as they moved six points clear of their city rivals at the other end the 354 Dundee fans in the away section were also given a little cheer with the news of results elsewhere, with none of the other sides at the wrong end of the table having made a move.

Hibs would have been cheered too by the prowess finishing of O'Connor, it's the one aspect of his game which has not always been evident, and full back Whittaker is at the top of his form, while for Dundee young full backs Callum Macdonald and Steven Robb were largely blameless for the margin of defeat. Macdonald handled, the ever dangerous, Derek Riordan well and Robb made several excellent blocks and tackles when the game was still live. The one thing that gave heart though was the way that, throughout the match, Caballero shrugged off challenges and went past people, and he didn't deserve to be on the losing side.

Match report written by Dundee Matchday Programme