Hibs slipped to the bottom of the Scottish Premiership following an astonishing collapse at Tannadice.

Leading 2-1 heading into stoppage time, David Gray's side - who had been reduced to 10 men five minutes earlier when Joe Newell was dismissed - were somehow beaten 3-2 as goals from Luca Stephenson and Meshack Ubochioma turned a dramatic match on its head. United had led early on through Sam Dalby, only for Warren O'Hora and substitute Dwight Gayle to strike and put Hibs in pole position.

Newell's sending off proved the turning point, the Hibs captain sent packing for two bookable offences. United's winner sparked a wild pitch invasion, the home fans' joy at hugely unlikely turnaround making it all the harder to take for those in the away end. 

From joy to disaster

It's difficult to put the scale of Hibs' capitulation here into words. Yes, they were reduced to 10 men, but simply put, this result cannot happen when you're 2-1 up heading into stoppage time. Newell's red came with only five minutes left of normal time, it's not as though Hibs were asked to protect a lead for vast swathes of the afternoon. It was all painfully familiar for an away support who could scarcely believe what they were seeing. The equaliser comes from Hibs being unable to clear their box from a set-piece, as was the case in defeat to Motherwell last time out, and the messy nature of the winner was a sign of just being unable to deal with the pressure. It's now just a single victory from eight Premiership outings, dropping Hibs to the very depths of the able ahead of an Edinburgh derby that takes on even greater significance. A truly awful day for Gray and his players, and one that will require an instant response next week at Easter Road, lest they risk things turning ugly.

The Newell red card

Hibs were forced to see out the final minutes without their captain, who was sent off for two bookable offences. The first yellow was somewhat soft - Newell was adjudged to have halted a counter-attack with a foul, but from our vantage point the actual contact looked minimal, with the Dundee United player running out of grass near the touchline. The second probably comes down to whether you're old or new school - Newell wins the ball in a 50-50 but his follow-through ends in a sore one for Luca Stevenson. Hibs' argument will be that there's little the midfielder could have done in that situation, he has to challenge for the ball, isn't out of control, or using excessive force. The flipside is that those sorts of challenges tend to be punished in the modern game, whether you win the ball or not. Either way, it proved immensely costly for Hibs, who were forced to camp in for the closing minutes - plus a further eight for stoppage time - and not only were they unable to preserve their lead, they completely collapsed.

Gayle makes an impact - but it means little

These were the scenarios Gayle was brought to Hibs for; making the difference off the bench in a finely balanced fixture, and he did his part on an otherwise galling afternoon. Gayle will have felt he should've opened his Hibs account at Ibrox a few weeks back, but this time he made no mistake with a well-taken header at the back post from a pinpoint Jordan Obita cross. It was a deserved goal at the end of a positive period for Hibs, and makes the nature of their subsequent implosion all the more inexplicable. The ability to affect games off the bench is something Gray didn't really have at the start of the season, so it's an example of how Hibs have added depth in some key areas. Gayle picked up some good positions, used the ball well, and outwith his goal, generally brought a calmness to Hibs' attacking play. Ultimately, though, it all means very little if what transpired at the other end keeps on happening. 

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Difficult day for Miller

From the high of a first international goal for Australia to being hooked at half-time in Dundee, it's been a topsy-turvy week for Lewis Miller. But whether it was a hangover from the buzz of a maiden strike for his country, the effects of an arduous and delayed journey back, or just simply an off day, the right-back could have little complaint at Gray's decision to withdraw him when he did. Miller was beaten all ends up by Glen Middleton for United's opener, and never really recovered. Misplaced passes and indecision betrayed a jitteriness in his game. Asked about the value of Miller's international exploits pre-match, Gray was clearly delighted for him, but made sure he added a caveat that he expects players to translate international success into performances for Hibs. What transpired here was exactly what the head coach was getting at it, and it'll be a lesson for Miller.