Hibs were denied a first Premiership win of the new season as Dundee snatched a late point at Easter Road.

Simon Murray's 89th minute strike ensured a share of the spoils after David Gray's side had come from behind to lead via goals from Martin Boyle and Kieron Bowie, his first for the club. Scott Tiffoney had fired Dundee into an early lead in what was a largely poor first 45 for the hosts, but Gray's side improved after the interval to turn the game on its head. Old habits die hard, though, and as was the case so often last season, Hibs were unable to see the game out as Murray struck at the death.

Patrick McPartlin and Liam Bryce were in Leith to provide the analysis.

First-half bad, second-half better

An expertly-taken Boyle setpiece aside, Hibs looked like a team unsure of itself. Out of possession, there was another eminently avoidable goal conceded. In possession, build-up was slow and laboured, with that uncertainty seemingly extending all the way to how they would look to play from goal kicks. Dundee scored with their first meaningful attack, and it was the third game running where Hibs have conceded inside the first 10 minutes. If late goals were last season's achilles heel, early ones are proving troublesome this term. The visitors weren't sparkling by any means - little was created out with the goal and a deflected effort ruled out for offside - but they didn't need to be. It's hard to say Hibs deserved to goal in level at the break, but Boyle's free-kick was excellent nonetheless, and it provided a platform for improvement after the interval.

The biggest difference was intensity. Dundee's shape, a 4-1-4-1 off the ball, crowded the central areas, and so there seemed a concerted effort to go wide earlier in the second 45. Boyle's pace was an effective outlet, and Mykola Kuharevich held the ball up well when he had to. Molotnikov, at times bullied by the imposing Mo Sylla, refused to be cowed by the game's physicality. Still, though, Hibs needed a different threat, and Bowie certainly offers it. His goal was sheer persistence, wriggling away from Dark Blue shirts and firing confidently into the corner. It should have been the winner, but it seems that tendency to throw away points hasn't yet left this team.

Liam Bryce

First starts for Kwon and Cadden

There were first starts for Kwon Hyeok-kyu and Nicky Cadden as David Gray returned to a 4231 system, with Cadden’s involvement allowing Rudi Molotnikov to start in his more favoured attacking midfield role and Kwon slotting into the base of midfield alongside Joe Newell.

The on-loan Celtic midfielder had been talked up by David Gray ahead of the game and he showed why with a largely tidy performance for the 65 minutes he was on the park. He combines screening elements with quality on the ball and with the centre of the park being a bit of a problem issue for Hibs in recent times and against Dundee’s impressive trio of Luke McCowan, Lyall Cameron, and Mohamed Sylla the Hibs midfield wasn’t as overrun as it might have been and competed well. 

The more he trains with his new team-mates and gets used to the way Gray wants to play, the more effective he will be. But this was a promising debut for the South Korean. 

Cadden did his chances of retaining his place in the starting XI no harm at all with a good showing on the left flank, whipping in a number of inviting crosses, even if his free kicks left a lot to be desired.

There are still a lot of issues needing ironed out in this Hibs team but there were more promising signs from last week’s performance and the optimism has to be that Hibs can build on the good parts and keep working on the bad bits.

Patrick McPartlin

Familiar issues persist

There will have been so much emphasis from Gray this week on starting well, but again Hibs made life difficult for themselves. Giving the opposition a goal start is a nasty habit, and one they'll need to find a way to break quickly. You could see the effect going behind quickly had on a disjointed first-half, as much as the second showed this team is capable of causing the opposition problems. They did so well to turn the game on its head, but being unable to then see that out was such a gallingly persistent problem last season, and its reared its head again. Gray's decision to change shape and bring on an extra centre-back, after which Dundee seemed to regain a foothold in the game, will be scrutinised. It was Warren O'Hora, though, not Rocky Bushiri, who lost sight of Murray and failed to prevent him going through to finish past Josef Bursik. Was adding an extra defensive body a sensible attempt at shoring the game up, or does doing so just invite pressure? Given the result, the prevailing perception among the Hibs support might just be the latter. Either way, their team need to stop conceding such soft goals.

Liam Bryce

Bowie off the mark

He's yet to make a first start since arriving from Fulham, but the 21-year-old already looks a significant threat. Powerful and direct, his well-taken goal was largely of his own making. Hibs were more direct in the second 45, but that should suit Bowie down to the ground. His willingness to mix it up with opposition defenders is immediately apparent, and he certainly won't shirk a physical battle. But the big question, of course, is - can he play? His calmness when the opportunity did come his way suggests there's a good finisher there. His record on-loan at Northampton Town wasn't prolific, but he did not spend as much time playing as a central striker as he would've liked. As he told the press just last week, he's here to establish himself as the focal point of Hibs' attack. His introduction today came from the left, but it perhaps won't be long before we see him lurking between the width of the posts more often. Wherever he plays in the weeks to come, getting off the mark so early is a huge positive.

Liam Bryce 

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Boyle grows into the game

Martin Boyle was a peripheral figure at Celtic Park last week, save for his ball in for Mykola Kukharevych’s goal, and he was rather anonymous for the first 43 minutes of this game, until he curled in a wonderful free kick just before the break to level. 

In the second half he was more like his usual self, buzzing around in the final third and going close with a smart volley which didn’t clear the bar by too much, although some of his corners were too easily cleared by the Dundee defence when Hibs were in the ascendancy. 

If Hibs are to drag themselves up the table and start putting wins on the board they need players like Boyle to set the standards and drive the team on - and they need more performances like this one. 

Patrick McPartlin