Jim Goodwin reckons Dundee United received a “reality check” against Hibs after slipping to a 3-1 defeat at Easter Road.
The capital club are firmly in the box-seat for third place after goals from Martin Boyle, Mykola Kuharevich and Dwight Gayle condemned the Tangerines to a second successive reverse.
While Kristijan Trapanovski found the net during a bright start to the second half, United ultimately paid the price for some dire defending, with Goodwin also acknowledging a gulf in “energy, pace and athleticism”.
“I’m not going to start throwing my players under the bus,” said Goodwin. “They have been fantastic for me. I said that to them down in the dressing room.
“Games like today are hugely disappointing because we believed that we could get a positive result, although we knew it was going to be difficult.
“I just think today was kind of a reality check in terms of where we need to get our levels to. I thought Hibs were the better team. They looked sharper and had more energy, athleticism and pace.
“But the goals are all from situations that we, as a group, have defended a lot better over the course of this campaign.”
The worst possible start
David Babunski was handed his first start since being withdrawn at half-time of United’s 1-0 win over Aberdeen on December 29, while Jort van der Sande was another surprise inclusion in Goodwin’s line-up.
Declan Gallagher returned after missing out on the 5-0 reverse to Celtic seven days prior, and with only light training under his belt in the prior week.
With the imperative to keep a talented Hibs side quiet during the opening knockings, the Tangerines endured a nightmare start.
Chris Cadden ghosted into the channel of the United box and fizzed a dangerous delivery across the face of goal. Gallagher got his feet in a muddle and Boyle was able to bundle the ball over the line.
Jack Walton was required to keep the Tangerines in the game with a superb double save to deny Kuharevich and Junior Hoilett after Ross Docherty was robbed on the edge of the Terrors box.
‘No excuses’
The Hibees did double their advantage when a simple long pass over the top split Gallagher and Emmanuel Adegboyega – who initially seemed to leave it to each other – and Kuharevich hared through before firing a fine low finish past Walton.
A mountain to climb with just 15 minutes on the clock.
An errant, blind pass by the out-of-sorts Gallagher sent Boyle clean through, albeit at a prohibitive angle, but the former Dundee forward’s effort was blocked.
Asked whether Gallagher was still carrying a knock after facing a race against time to be fit for the trip to Leith, Goodwin added: “We’ve got players all throughout the team carrying niggles.
“I’m pretty sure we’re no different to any other team in the league in that regard. We had a number of players starting the game who are carrying knocks and aren’t quite at 100%, but that’s the situation we’re in.
“We don’t have huge strength and depth, especially in that back area. But I’m not going to start making excuses.”
On the subject, Adegboyega would later limp off with groin discomfort that Goodwin is hopeful will not turn out to be serious.
Attempting to scale the mountain
Goodwin described United’s first-half as “a non-event”, and van der Sande and Babunski were replaced by Glenn Middleton and Trapanovski at the break.
Hibs goalkeeper Jordan Smith produced a stunning to preserve the Hibees’ two-goal lead, pawing an Adegboyega effort from the goal-line after the United defender met a Sam Dalby knock-down.
However, Smith was beaten with 50 minutes on the clock when a deep corner fell kindly at the back post, allowing Trapanovski to swivel and dispatch a clinical close-range shot.
Docherty sclaffed a shot wide of target as United – a different side compared to the meek performance in the first period – continued to push for parity.
Game over
Vicko Sevelj passed up a glorious opportunity to level the scores when a wonderful Ryan Strain delivery found the Croatian free in the box, but he could only direct his header wide of the post.
A minute after Strain should have been celebrating an assist at one end, he produced an incredible goal-line clearance to thwart Josh Campbell following fine work by Kieron Bowie.
However, Hibs made the game safe in the dying embers when Nicky Cadden picked out an unmarked Gayle in the box. The former English Premier League marksman made no mistake with an unerring header.
United remain in fifth place, with St Mirren – the next visitors to Tannadice – now only five points behind following their win over Aberdeen. The fourth-placed Dons are just three points ahead of the Terrors.
The clash with the Buddies is shaping up to be a blockbuster.
“We’re very much still in the fight,” added Goodwin. “With the result in Paisley, we’re still only three points behind Aberdeen in fourth and have still got them to play at Tannadice.
“It is a massive three games coming up, starting with St Mirren.”
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