Don't 'drift along', Ross tells Hibernian after 3-0 loss to Livingston

Jack Ross has urged Hibernian not to "just drift along" for the remainder of the season after they sustained a third straight league defeat.

Josh Mullin, Jon Guthrie and Scott Robinson scored as Livingston won to move fifth in the Scottish Premiership.

League Cup semi-finalists Hibs are now three points off third-place Aberdeen and face Celtic next on Monday 11 January.

"This does give us a little breather," Ross told BBC Scotland.

"It is an opportunity for us to draw breath and re-group and say, 'right, what do we want to achieve for the rest of the season?'. I don't want us to just drift along.

"We need to respond to this week that we've had. We've got a tough game when we come back, but we've got an exciting month ahead."

• Reaction & as it happened

Goalkeeper Ofir Marciano was initially named in the Hibs starting line-up but pulled out after the warm-up and Dillon Barnes started for a third game running.

The visitors moved into an early lead when Robinson hooked the ball over the head of Lewis Stevenson and Mullin finished first time past Barnes.

Livingston strengthened their grip on the game from a Mullin set play. Barnes failed to punch clear and Ciaron Brown beat two Hibs men in the air before Guthrie pounced at the back post.

Hibs were rattled and could not get a foothold in the game, with Mullin bending a shot wide and then being denied by Barnes after more slackness in defence by the hosts.

The visitors continued where they laid off in the second period with Robinson chasing Guthrie's long ball and cleverly holding off Ryan Porteous and Paul Hanlon before rolling under Barnes.

Jason Holt then exchanged passes with Scott Pittman before drawing a save from the goalkeeper.

Substitute Jamie Gullan registered Hibs' only effort on target with a header that was saved in what turned out to be a thoroughly miserable start to 2021 for the green half of Edinburgh.

Man of the match - Josh Mullin

Mullin was a persistent menace to Hibs and took his goal in style

What did we learn?

Head coach Ross was careful not to be too critical after Hibs' past two defeats and it was easy to see why with a number of openings created in both of those games.

However, Livingston's lead never looked under threat and the January transfer window may have come at the right time for Ross to revitalise his underperforming squad.

Livingston, having won at Easter Road for the first time since 2005, are looking more and more like an established top-six team after going back to basics under Martindale, who has won all seven of his matches in charge.

More solid defensive displays and a nous in attack has once again made them tough to beat and, on this form, even tougher to stop.

What did they say?

Hibernian head coach Jack Ross: "We defended poorly throughout and we weren't anywhere near creative enough or fluid enough. In all aspects of the game we fell short.

"There's no panic from us but equally we can't shy away from how poor we were. Our reaction to going behind wasn't good enough. It's a real sore afternoon for us."

Livingston manager David Martindale: "We came here with a wee bit of a game plan and I think it worked perfectly. They leave a lot of space in behind the centre-halves.

"We'd be really disappointed if you're sitting fifth and you were to finish outside the top six. Realistically, we've got to be aiming to try and stay in the top six."

What's next?

Hibernian's next game is in nine days' time against Celtic in Glasgow (19:45 GMT). Livingston are at home to Ross County next Saturday (15:00).