There was an inevitability about it, wasn't there? From the moment the red card was flashed in front of an incredulous Joe Newell, in crept the feeling that there was no end to this tale in which Hibs and David Gray would depart Tannadice with three priceless Scottish Premiership points.

The equaliser was bad enough and sent the 2300-strong travelling support into a collective fury, but when it somehow got even worse a few minutes later, some were too stunned to even react. It was a similar picture on the pitch; despondent white shirts looking for the ground to open up and swallow them as the home fans piled out of the stands and onto the grass in jubilation. Even Jim Goodwin failed to contain himself on the touchline, racing towards matchwinner Meshack Ubochioma and ending up sprawled on the turf.

The yellow card that followed was a small price to pay for the Dundee United manager, whose team had inflicted a far heavier one on Hibs. Goodwin revealed afterwards that he felt the visitors were the better team for much of the second half, but it felt like a token gesture and one that mattered very little. He, and the rest of the league, know that if you stay in the game against Hibs, the chances are they'll give you something.

That something was Newell's 85th-minute dismissal for a second bookable offence, and the catalyst for a late implosion that was startling even by Hibs' infamous capacity for self-destruction. Here, we look at how an astonishing 14 minutes unfolded to leave Hibs bottom of the Scottish Premiership.

Joe Newell is sent off - 85 minutes

This was the moment when what would have been a deserved Hibs victory began to unravel, and the second consecutive match in which they have been hamstrung by a late red card. Newell was booked after just 15 minutes for a sliding challenge on Glenn Middleton as he raced over the halfway line, one that although did not make contact with the winger, was judged enough to impede his advance. It was a long time for the captain to be walking a tightrope, especially on his first appearance since returning from surgery. He wouldn't make it to the end.

With five minutes of normal time remaining, Newell had begun to look understandably tired. Players will do all they can to hide it when fatigue starts to set in, but the midfielder's empty tank was betrayed by a heavy touch under no pressure near the halfway line. In an attempt to correct it, Newell fully committed to the resulting 50-50 with Luca Stephenson, but that eagerness to make up for his mistake proved his undoing. On first viewing from the Tannadice press box, there didn't seem to be much wrong with Newell's challenge, but further viewings post-match revealed the kind of tackle that's always going to be punished in the modern game. Simply winning the ball isn't enough to absolve players these days if they follow through and hurt an opponent.

Hibs make two substitutions - 88 minutes

David Gray reacted almost immediately, withdrawing Junior Hoilett and Mykola Kukharevych for Josh Campbell and Dylan Levitt. In withdrawing two attackers for two midfielders, the head coach was seeking to quickly shore things up by getting fresh legs behind the ball. But while it helped Hibs set up in a bank of five with three in front, they were left without a way to escape pressure. Dwight Gayle was the last remaining forward on the pitch, but even he found himself sucked back in as Hibs went into siege mode. 

The switch also signalled to Dundee United that they were free to throw men forward with abandon, and they did so. In the example below, they're able to push two of their three centre-backs into the final third, as Hibs retreat to the edge of their box, leaving only midfielder David Babunski and Vicko Sevelj as a back two. 

(Image: Wyscout) Kukharevych and Hoilett were at least giving United something to consider defensively, but their withdrawal had the knock-on effect of allowing the hosts to transition into all-out attack. Of course, we're applying some 20-20 hindsight here, and Gray would have faced all sorts of criticism had he not made a defensive change after the red card only to watch his side concede anyway.  In his mind, he will feel that his team should have been able to see out the short time remaining, even if it meant giving up significant territory. He was let down again.

Dundee United equalise - 90+3 minutes

That this goal has its origins in what should have been a vital period of relief for Hibs will frustrate Gray no end. Tenacity from Gayle and then a forward ball from Levitt released Campbell down the left, the substitute having made a good run forward. But the Hibs midfielder then surrenders possession to Ubochioma far too easily, taking a poor touch and allowing the United winger to nick the ball and then win a foul.

(Image: Wyscout)Having only just come on the pitch, Campbell simply has to do more to help bail out his flagging team-mates by taking the ball towards the corner and allowing them to push up. United quickly work the ball out to the left towards substitute Kristijan Trapanovski, and he forces his way past a weak Martin Boyle tackle before easily outpacing a tiring Kwon Hyeok-kyu. Even as he races into the box, though, Hibs have plenty of bodies packing the area, but all Josef Bursik can do with the winger's ball across is palm it directly into danger, and Stephenson reacts quickest to fire home the equaliser.

(Image: Wyscout)

Dundee United score the winner - 90+9 minutes

There's a palpable sense of foreboding following the equaliser, with an anxious Hibs still having another five minutes of stoppage time to see out. There follows a succession of long throws and crosses into the box, and for a few minutes Hibs look to have stabilised things, Marvin Ekpiteta taking charge to complete a few seemingly vital clearances. But the winner comes from a simple long ball launched by United goalkeeper Jack Walton.

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Bursik makes a poor call by dashing from his goal to try to punch clear the resulting flick-on but succeeds only in wiping out Jack Iredale, who was in control with no immediate danger, and with all Hibs eyes fixed firmly on the ball, no one is alert to Ubochioma's presence at the edge of the area, and he lobs it into the open goal. It's desperately poor decision-making from the goalkeeper and points to a lack of calmness. His intention is clear - looking to take the pressure off his defence by being decisive, but there's no real need for him to steam into the ruck of bodies, as it only succeeds in creating chaos.

(Image: Wyscout) After the ball loops agonisingly into the net, Warren O'Hora can be seen gesticulating that no one was close enough to Ubochioma, and while you could argue that neither Campbell nor Kwon are in a position to deal with any danger arising in the next phase, the entire situation is avoided if Bursik doesn't interfere with Iredale's clearance, as the Australian's attempts to do so are clearly hindered by his goalkeeper's presence. The ball may have dropped to Ubochioma anyway - we'll never know - but it would have taken a brilliant strike on his weaker foot to beat Bursik if he was in a better position. Make no mistake, Hibs are punished brutally in every instance here, but they contributed to their own downfall by, again, failing to do the basics.