Pressure mounts on David Gray as atmosphere turns toxic

Hibs found themselves two down at the break thanks to a Conor McMenamin double in a dire first-half performance from the hosts. The first was a well-worked goal as Scott Tanser's low cross from the left was tucked home from close range by the Northern Irish internationalist; the second was a personal nightmare for Warren O'Hora, who took a poor touch near the halfway line and allowed McMenamin to race clear on goal and although Josef Bursik got a hand to the effort, he could only help it on its way into the net. 

David Gray made a triple substitution at the break and while it did seem to spark something of an improvement in the team, Hibs left it late to try to get something out of the team. Martin Boyle saw a 63rd-minute penalty saved by Ellery Balcombe and Hibs struggled to create much after that until a second penalty was awarded and substitute Cadden fired home to give Hibs a glimmer of hope. Seconds after the penalty,  Élie Youan picked out Cadden again from the right and he swept home to seemingly level the game at 2-2 - until VAR ruled it out for offside. 

Hibs did rally towards the end of the game but it was too little, too late - and even a draw would have been scant consolation given the way the season has unfolded so far.

Patrick McPartlin was at Easter Road to provide the analysis...

Pressure mounts on Gray amid ugly full-time scenes

One train of thought is that consistently changing managers doesn't result in the chance for any sort of progress to be made. But one win in 12 is simply unacceptable for a club with Hibs' aims, as was the first-half performance. So too is being rooted to the bottom of the Scottish Premiership. 

The players were jeered off at half-time, jeered back on at the start of the second half, and jeered off again at the end by those supporters who had stayed until the bitter end, while there were chants during the game aimed at sporting director Malky Mackay. 

There were ugly scenes at full-time, with a pocket of fans in the Main Stand venting their fury at chief executive Ben Kensell as they passed the directors' box en route to the exits while Élie Youan had to be dragged away by a combination of Rocky Bushiri, Jordan Obita, and a couple of stewards after appearing to clash with some supporters in the Famous Five Stand. 

The atmosphere feels particularly toxic at Easter Road at the moment and it's hard to see it changing anytime soon. Despite the problems at the club running deeper than the coaching staff, the run of results and the nature of this game will pile even more pressure on Gray. 

Whether he is given time to try to turn things around remains to be seen. 

Last-chance saloon for some players?

Gray didn't mess around at half-time, hooking three of his starters - Kwon Hyeok-kyu, Nectar Triantis, and Warren O'Hora - and replacing them with Dylan Levitt, Nicky Cadden, and Rocky Bushiri. It has been clear that there is a limited group of players who Gray trusts and is relying on to turn things around. 

But it does rather beg the question - have some players now played their way out of the squad, never mind the starting XI?

There is an argument to be made that certain players suit certain games but at the moment, sometimes the substitutions can seem somewhat random. 

Prior to today, Levitt had managed a combined total of just 15 league minutes off the bench since the 2-0 home defeat by Celtic in August. Bushiri had played just seven, coming on as a substitute in the 2-2 draw with Dundee in late August. Neither player performed badly; Hibs kept a clean sheet in the second half and were attacking with more intent, but will they get a chance against Dundee in the first game after the international break?

On top of that, Nathan Moriah-Welsh played in five of the opening seven games, but has featured in just one of the five since and has dropped out of the matchday squad. Josh Campbell got gametime in seven of the first eight games but hasn't got on the pitch since a late substitute appearance in the 3-2 defeat by Dundee United at Tannadice, and he also wasn't in the squad today. 

When Hibs travel to Dundee on November 23 it will be interesting to see just how many of the team that started today hold onto their places at Dens Park - and if there are any changes, who gets the nod. 

Individual mistakes joined by lack of fight

It would not be an exaggeration to say that Hibs have looked defensively more solid in recent weeks. A clean sheet against Ross County in Dingwall was followed by a decent display against Dundee United only for a VAR-awarded penalty for a foul - committed by a centre-forward rather than a defender - to rob them of a second consecutive clean sheet. 

That should have been something to build on.

But Hibs were disjointed, incohesive, insipid even at times during the first half. Passes were misplaced, crosses were launched with no real target - if they even made it past the first man. The only real moment of note for Hibs was when Élie Youan exchanged passes with Kwon Hyeok-kyu before cracking an effort off the post. 

Warren O'Hora didn't appear to be under too much pressure when he miscontrolled the ball, allowing McMenamin to scamper through for his second. Josef Bursik might have done better, appearing to dive the opposite way as the former Glentoran striker smashed his effort in off the goalkeeper. O'Hora paid the price by being subbed off at the interval but, tellingly, Gray could easily have replaced any three of the starting XI. 

Individual mistakes are one thing but the lack of fight, referenced by Gray in his post-match remarks, was concerning to see after it looked like Hibs might have turned the smallest of corners with their performances last week.