Hibs instant analysis as Hampden defeat snatched from jaws of victory

Nick Montgomery’s side were unable to reply to Bojan Miovski’s 78th minute opener, one that arrived just minutes after the Dons’ Jack MacKenzie was sent. The stage had looked set for Hibs, a man to the good, to seize the initiative and forge a path into December 17’s final.

But instead they will look back on a missed opportunity, and the impact of VAR, as a Martin Boyle strike was ruled out by the tightest of offside calls after a VAR check which seemed to take an eternity. Hibs then could not find a way past a resolute Dons defence, and they seized their opportunity with both hands as Miovski slid the ball past David Marshall after a rapid counter-attack.

Patrick McPartlin and Liam Bryce were at Hampden to provide the instant analysis.

Hibs find a way to lose… somehow

This one will hurt Hibs for a long time, no doubt about it. In a game where they were on top, and a man to the good, they somehow conspired to find themselves crashing to a galling defeat. MacKenzie’s red card – the absolute definition of a massive head loss, by the way – pushed a match already shifting in Hibs’ favour into golden opportunity territory. Boyle’s goal that was ruled offside was the cruelty of VAR in action, and then Nicky Devlin somehow managed to keep Dylan Vente’s effort out when the striker looked destined to score. Those two moments were enough to provoke thoughts that maybe this isn’t going to happen for Hibs. But after the red card, surely they had to find a way to win? Unfortunately, this is a team which, at the moment, are finding ways not to win games which are there for the taking. There was lots to like about various elements of this performance, but Hibs really need to find themselves a ruthless streak.

Liam Bryce

Injuries leave squad light

Adam Le Fondre and Jimmy Jeggo have both been key players for Hibs, the latter especially under Nick Montgomery, so it would have been a blow that neither player was passed fit to play. The Australian spoiler’s work perhaps goes unnoticed but he has contributed to a lot of the progress under the former Central Coast Mariners boss. It was a chance for Dylan Levitt to partner Joe Newell in the middle of the park and the pair dovetailed well enough but there were times Jeggo’s absence could be keenly felt.

It also left Hibs short of midfield bodies on the bench, with Rudi Molotnikov added to the bench. Christian Doidge also made a comeback after sitting out the draws against Celtic and Ross County with the Welshman plus stalwarts Paul Hanlon and Lewis Stevenson dragging the average age of the substitutes up a bit - but with Hibs needing goals and fit bodies, there was a lot of expectation placed on 16-year-old Josh Landers who was thrown on for his debut towards the end with Dylan Vente tiring and Martin Boyle needing replaced.

Patrick McPartlin

VAR drama sickens fans

It’s far too late to roll back the clock on VAR, so there’s little point going down that road, but it’s still provoking more ire than it is winning plaudits. The tightest of tight calls denied Boyle what would have been a deserved opener, and the lengthy, lengthy wait that followed may have eventually reached the correct decision, but it doesn’t half suck the joy and excitement out of the game. Ultimately, Hibs have fallen on the wrong side of the smallest of margins, and it’s a bitter pill to swallow for fans, players and the manager. Those supporters might be wondering when their team will again find a touch of fortune on this venue – the last time they played Aberdeen here in 2017, a luckless Darren McGregor had a Jonny Hayes shot deflect lucklessly in off his leg to send Hibs tumbling out of that year’s Scottish Cup. In the end, though, hard luck often only come along when teams don’t find a way to victory themselves, and there was a touch of that about the performance on the day.

Liam Bryce

Result takes away from Fish display

Will Fish came under fire for some of his displays earlier in the season - although in fairness to the on-loan Manchester United defender none of the team were performing particularly well - but his recent displays have been a lot more impressive. This was probably his sternest test yet, on a big stage, but the 20-year-old looked assured at the back, snuffing out Aberdeen’s threat in the first hour or so and displaying a calmness on the ball that belied his years. He could do nothing about the winning goal and can be happy enough with his performance - although the final result, unfortunately for Fish, rendered any positives somewhat meaningless.

Patrick McPartlin

Pressure mounting on Montgomery?

This was a big test for Nick Montgomery with the hope Hibs could bounce back from throwing away a two-goal against Ross County on Tuesday night. The offside goal will have been a hammer blow for Hibs but given the way they dominated after the break, and the fact the Dons were reduced to ten men, the smart money might have been on the Capital club advancing to the final. But instead the dismissal seemed to galvanise Barry Robson’s side, and Hibs looked like the side with fewer men. When these sides met in 2017 in the last four of the Scottish Cup, the Dons prevailed 3-2 but a herculean effort from Hibs had seen them claw it back to 2-2 from 2-0 down. This was very different. Hibs looked tired and devoid of ideas as they chased an unlikely leveller late on. The result and the performance will heap more pressure on Montgomery, who now has just two wins from nine in all competitions since he took the reins. There was, unsurprisingly, jeering from the Hibs fans at the final whistle plus a few supporters making their feelings known to the team as they made their way off the park. Hibs will now turn their attention to Wednesday night's trip to Paisley to face St Mirren - but that may be a daunting prospect for a team who could well be low on morale. 

Patrick McPartlin