Nector Triantis celebrates the game's opening goalSNS

Nector Triantis celebrates the game's opening goal

Jack Herrall
BBC Sport Scotland

Jimmy Thelin has warned Aberdeen will "keep losing and get in trouble" if his players fail to take more responsibility for their abject run after they slipped to a 14th Scottish Premiership game without a win at Hibernian.

The Pittodrie side are now just two points ahead of the revived Edinburgh side after enduring their 10th loss during those 14 games.

Once again, Aberdeen showed a lack of creativity, lost bad goals, and struggled to find balance across the pitch, but still somehow remain fourth in the division.

"When you sign this contract to represent Aberdeen, you have to understand we have high ambitions and it's not easy," Thelin said.

"You have to give everything you can, every minute, every game, every week in training and do more.

"And right now we need to push up this to reach that target otherwise we're going to keep losing and we're going to get in trouble.

"We have to understand that it's an important situation we're in right now."

Hibs, who were in the doldrums themselves not so long ago, are now up to fifth.

They are unbeaten in 10 games and were well worth their win here. They led when Josh Campbell nodded a set piece back across the six-yard box for Nector Triantis to stoop low and nod into the net.

Just two minutes after the interval Nicky Cadden headed in Hibs' second, with Ross Doohan unable to palm his powerful header out of the goal.

The goal was awarded after a lengthy VAR check with Dwight Gayle, who flicked it on for Cadden, shown to be onside after the goal had been initially ruled out.

Referee Don Robertson was asked to review a possible Aberdeen penalty incident at the pitchside monitor after Rocky Bushiri clumsily jumped to head a corner away.

However, the referee backed his on-field call and did not change his mind after watching the replays.

Hibs were denied a late third when Boyle couldn't lift his attempted dink over the onrushing Doohan.

Hibs roar up table as turnaround continues

Hibs' home form has been crucial to their turnaround, with them boasting a record of W4, D3, L0 when scoring the opening goal at home in the top-flight this season.

Their revival has flown under the radar a little but they're now undefeated in the last nine top-flight games.

David Gray always remained defiant he was the right man to turn it around and he's certainly got some serious 'I told you so' points in the bank now.

The Cadden brothers were influential once either flank once again, with Boyle also having a great game - despite his squandering his late chance.

A top-six spot is now in their hands and leapfrogging Aberdeen in the table is surely doable now.

Aberdeen now five games without goal

It's the same old story for Aberdeen. Listless, tepid, sluggish, take your pick of adjective to describe them this week.

Their fall from grace remains inexplicable and perplexing.

Even more worryingly now, Aberdeen have failed to score in their last five league games - a run of 555 minutes without a goal despite Pape Gueye back from injury and attacking reinforcements brought in.

The question of what has gone wrong is continually posed to Thelin and the answer continues to elude him.

A few tactical tweaks and second-half subs did appear to balance them, with the last 15 minutes or so showing some great determination to keep fighting but ultimately lacking any sort of clinical touch in front of goal.

What they said

Hibernian head coach David Gray: "We need to make sure we cement that top-six place as quickly as we can because there's going to be a lot of challenging games between now and the split.

"We need to keep moving forward and if we can keep catching that team in front, we're in a fantastic position where European football becomes a possibility."

Aberdeen manager Jimmy Thelin: "It doesn't matter the system, the way your philosophy is about the basic, the 50-50 duels, how much you run for each other, how you challenge in their box, how they defend your box, all these kind of things.

"We have a strong feeling before the game, [it was] the only thing we have focused on before this game and when the game starts, it's still the same situations that we get hurt from."

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