Hibernian 2-1 Hamilton Academical: Jack Ross' side come from behind to win
- Published
Highlights: Hibernian 2-1 Hamilton Academical
Hibernian came from behind to beat Hamilton Academical and earn only their second win in six Scottish Premiership games.
Hamilton - whose head coach Brian Rice admitted breaking Scottish FA betting rules this week - took the initiative with a first-half goal from Alex Gogic.
However, Hibs drew level when Christian Doidge tapped in a rebound.
Daryl Horgan spurned a glorious chance, but Paul Hanlon completed the revival with a header with four minutes left.
The result was Jack Ross' fifth win from his opening 11 games in charge of Hibs, as the Leith side tightened their grip on a top-six spot.
Hamilton, meanwhile, stay 11th with just four points separating them and bottom-placed Hearts.
Tactical changes win the day for Hibs
Since Ross' arrival, Hibs' form can only be described as inconsistent. While their league position has improved, they again showed there is a frailty in their team.
The back four of David Gray, Adam Jackson, Hanlon and Lewis Stevenson looked vulnerable with little in terms of protection from the sitting midfielders - Melker Hallberg and Vykintas Slivka.
Indeed, in the opening minutes Andrew Dales fired a cross along the Hibs six-yard box that the home defence were toiling to deal with and then George Oakley headed over from a corner.
And the small band of Accies fans who had made their way to Easter Road had every reason to celebrate when their side took the lead.
Scott McMann floated another corner in from the left and Gogic rose at the back post to nod home his first goal since September 2017.
You would think that would spur the home side into action but still Accies controlled the game and Blair Alston came close to a second with a stunning left-foot drive.
The home fans frustration was evident and a Scott Allan shot from distance that was high over the crossbar did little to appease their mood.
Ross was undoubtedly unhappy and made a double switch at the break with the ineffective Slivka and Hallberg making way for Stephane Omeonga and Joe Newell.
Allan was next to leave the field just seven minutes into the second half with Horgan his replacement as the home side searched for a way through.
There was an improvement, with Florian Kamberi being denied by Owain Fon-Williams and Jackson winning a near-post header that flew across the box with no takers. And the equaliser duly came after a persistent spell of pressure.
Kamberi played the ball inside McMann and Markus Fjortoft for Martin Boyle to race on to. He clipped the ball beyond the goalkeeper and, although it rebounded of the inside of a post, Doidge was on hand to knock in from just a yard out.
Hibs were denied a second when Fon-Williams did well to keep out a Horgan shot from 10 yards after some excellent play involving Kamberi and Stevenson down the left.
Hamilton's ventures forward were becoming rare but they did have claims for a penalty waived away by referee Andrew Dallas after the ball struck the outstretched arm of Gray.
But eventually Hibs pressure paid off when the hosts snatched a late winner. Boyle found space on the right to knock a deep cross into the Accies box and Hanlon powered in a determined header.
Man of the match - Martin Boyle
Most of the plaudits must go to the Hamilton players, with Alston and Brian Easton in particular stand outs, but the game was turned once again by a player who continues to deliver.
Boyle had a hand in both goals with his pace and accuracy of his crosses proving invaluable to Hibernian and he fully deserves all the credit after what was otherwise a fairly tepid home performance.
'You might say a draw would be a fair' - reaction
Hibernian head coach Jack Ross: "I suppose if you look at that sensibly then you might say a draw would be a fair result. As poor as we were first half, I thought we were good in the second half.
"It was a far different performance and on balance of the chances created over the course of the game I'd say we deserved to win it."
Hamilton head coach Brian Rice: "The way they started the game and played in the first half, I felt the game could have been out of reach at half time for Hibs.
"There were opportunities there for us to score more and when you come to tough places like Easter Road you have to try and take your chances and we didn't."
Referee will be disappointed about penalty - Rice