How Hibs new boys influenced comeback at Kilmarnock

Given the intricacies of doing business in the winter window, some considered it a bold statement. But early evidence on two of his recent additions, at least, are that it could be a promise the Hibs manager has made good on.

Both Emiliano Marcondes and Myziane Maolida made telling impacts in Saturday's 2-2 draw with Kilmarnock, the latter scoring a dramatic late equaliser after emerging from the substitutes' bench. Hibs' all-round performance, especially defensively, still raised cause for concern but there were periods either side of a decidedly ropey spell - in which Kilmarnock scored twice - to offer some encouragement.

Marcondes was handed his first start in green and white after impressing off the bench against Rangers in midweek, and his quality was immediately obvious. Montgomery's steadfast reliance on his version of 4-4-2 has attracted criticism, but the Dane's arrival showed promise in easing a persistent issue in linking midfield and attack and suggests that it can be more effective with the right personnel.

The on-loan Bournemouth playmaker was everywhere at Rugby Park; popping up in pockets between the lines, drifting wide, dropping deep to start attacks, and even making runs beyond Dylan Vente. The 28-year-old is still working towards full match fitness, but his intelligent movement, composure in possession, and range of passing were obvious for long spells, and evident in his first significant involvement.

Dylan Levitt has been a lightning rod for criticism of late but he linked particularly well with Emiliano throughout, and the Welshman can play forward quickly to maximise the Dane's clever positioning. In the example below, a short free-kick triggers Kilmarnock to press Levitt, but Emiliano drops into the space vacated by the advancing midfielders, and Levitt takes them out of the game with a fine pass.

The home side had deployed a back three, which allowed Lewis Mayo to step out towards Marcondes in these scenarios, but on this occasion, he produced a brilliant Cruyff turn to spin away from the defender and advance into the final third.

It was here that perhaps a lack of match rhythm hindered him, as Mayo did well to recover, with Marcondes looking to play to the left when slipping in Vente was the easier option.

He and Levitt again linked for what was Hibs' best combination of the first-half. Levitt exchanged passes with Kanayo Megwa from a throw-in and played forward quickly into Marcondes' feet once more.

Marcondes again produced a deft flick inside to Vente, who played it wide for Youan making a third-man run.

Youan drove towards the byline as Marcondes sprinted into the box, and the former's cross was just cut out by the recovering Mayo.

Having a player supporting the attack from deep could make a significant difference moving forward for Hibs. We previously highlighted issues in the Hearts and Motherwell matches at Easter Road, where Montgomery's side was struggling to get numbers into the box to provide options. In the example below, Marcondes slides a clever pass down the side for Vente, continuing his run into the box to receive the return, his first-time shot being saved by O'Hara.

Highlighting these good moments must come with the caveat that, for a significant spell after Kilmarnock scored, Hibs stopped doing all of the good things you see above. The play became that bit more rushed, and the ball found itself back at David Marshall often - something that did not happen much in the first 25 when Hibs were able to sustain territorial dominance in Kilmarnock's half via controlled possession and being aggressive when the ball turned over. The home side got an obvious boost from the goal, and Hibs players stopped trusting each other in possession.

READ MORE: Myziane lifts lid on Berlin exile and why he chose Hibs

It was not until after Kilmarnock made it 2-0 that Hibs regained some semblance of a foothold in the game. The promising link-up between Marcondes and Levitt led to Joe Newell's tremendous volley to reduce the deficit. Levitt received the ball from Will Fish and quickly played around the corner for Marcondes, knowing where his team-mate was going to be. He then played the return pass and it prompted Killie's midfield to drop off and regain their shape.

The Dane held his position to get it back from Levitt, and his dropping in allowed Newell to move higher and eventually make it to the edge of the box. Marcondes played a lovely ball down the outside for Rory Whittaker, and that led to his half-cleared cross sitting up nicely for Newell to score.

The introduction of Myziane for Youan also proved pivotal, and we saw flashes of what the on-loan Hertha Berlin attacker is all about. He says he prefers to play through the middle, but he was encouragingly direct off the left flank, and he was the spark for Hibs eventually getting a point.

There was an incisiveness to his play that was absent from Youan's on the day. He served Kilmarnock an early warning with one of his favoured moves - as highlighted in our scouting report - in which he feints to cross/shoot before chopping back and driving towards the by-line. In the instance below, it leads to a penalty box scramble from which Marcondes almost scores.

His biggest contribution was, of course, the equalising goal. By then, Kilmarnock had been reduced to ten men and were being forced to man-mark as Hibs pushed bodies up the pitch. Myziane may want to be deployed as a central striker, but his goal does not happen if he isn't starting from the left to make that out-to-in run, which causes havoc in a Kilmarnock backline that lost its cohesion in having to pick up men instead of covering spaces.

The composure and finish from Myziane that follows is of high quality and bodes well for what he can offer moving forward.

Positive performances from new arrivals can't mask another sub-par defensive display, but there were elements of this fixture that Hibs must look to build on while cutting out the costly errors at the other end.