Gutsy Dundee United moved off the foot of the Premiership with their second victory at Tannadice in the space of three days, defeating Hibernian 1-0.
Aziz Behich notched the only goal of the game after 11 minutes, slotting beyond David Marshall following a fine Dylan Levitt pass.
Mykola Kukharevych saw a goal ruled out as the capital club responded well.
Indeed, United stopper Carljohan Eriksson had to be at his best after the break as the Hibees battered at the Terrors door, making SEVEN saves over the course of a frantic 90 minutes.
The triumph follows hot on the heels of Saturday’s 4-0 hammering of Aberdeen and, while this was a very different sort of display, it was an equally pivotal result and sees the hosts leapfrog Ross County to 11th.
Getting the best out of Behich
Blistering Behich has been a major beneficiary of Fox’s astute switch to a mobile, energetic 3-4-3 from United’s prior 3-5-2 shape.
With Scott McMann shining at left centre-back — and able to scurry over to the flank when required — the Socceroo has been freed to bomb forward at will.
And, just as it did against Aberdeen, that new offensive role allowed him to open the scoring.
Behich played a super one-two after escaping the attention of Chris Cadden and, sent haring into the box, prodded home a clinical finish from a prohibitive angle; two in two for the ex-PSV Eindhoven and Bursaspor ace.
Nevertheless, Behich’s night could have been altogether less enjoyable, if not for a wonderful Eriksson save to deny Martin Boyle after his international teammate slipped at the most inopportune moment.
Angered by Mr Anderson
Both sides believed they had cause to rue the decisions of referee Euan Anderson.
Hibs thought they had restored parity when towering Ukrainian marksman Kukharevych bundled home from close range after latching onto an errant Elie Youan scissor-kick.
However, Mr Anderson deemed that Youan’s attempt at an acrobatic effort constituted dangerous play and the goal was chalked off.
With a thoroughly watchable contest swinging to the other end, Jamie McGrath thought he had been impeded in the box by Marijan Cabraja as he sought to meet a Tony Watt cross.
The official thought otherwise.
Regardless, the ball ran through to Glenn Middleton and he should have done better than thrashing the ball wildly over the bar.
Cabraja and Freeman were booked for a shoving match, while Ryan Porteous claimed to have been elbowed by Ryan Edwards as the duo battled in the box.
By the time the half-time whistle blew, this was a feisty affair.
Dylan Levitt getting back to his best
It would be fair to say that Levitt has not hit the heady heights of last season in recent weeks.
However, this was much more like it from the Welsh wizard.
Seemingly thriving alongside the combative, steadying influence of Craig Sibbald, Levitt was the metronomic heartbeat of United’s display.
Levitt notched the assist for Behich’s winner. He had more touches than any United player (50), made more accurate passes — overall (32) and solely in the final third (16) — than any other man in Tangerine and won possession more than any player on the pitch (nine).
Get out of jail free
Hibs exploded from the blocks after the interval in search of a leveller.
Harry McKirdy, off the bench to replace Youan, stung the palms of Eriksson before a swarming counter-attack — five against two at one point — culminated in a blocked Josh Campbell effort.
But Hibs’ best chance by a mile came when Sibbald, otherwise excellent, left a pass to his keeper woefully short, allowing Kukharevych to scamper clean through on goal.
However, Eriksson got his colleague out of jail by getting a crucial palm on the striker’s shot and it drifted wide of the post.
By the time Boyle skied a shot while completely free at the back post and McKirdy forced another stop from Eriksson, the Tangerines must have been wondering how long their luck would hold out.
However, with a combination of wonderful goalkeeping, hard work, last-ditch defending and good old fashioned blind luck, United held admirably firm against a team that had won their previous four games. Not to be sniffed at.
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