Hibernian suffered a 2-1 defeat away to St Johnstone in the Scottish Premiership, their second consecutive league loss. A double from St Johnstone forward Josh Fowler proved decisive, cancelling out Nathan Lowe's equaliser for the visitors.
The result, reported by STV News this week, sees Hibs remain eighth in the Premiership table with six points from five games. Their recent form of two losses, two wins, and a loss leaves them nine points behind leaders Celtic.
How did the match unfold?
St Johnstone took the lead after 16 minutes. A low cross from Taylor Steven took a deflection off Adam Mayor and fell kindly for Josh Fowler, who netted from close range. Hibs responded well and levelled the match just before the half-hour mark. A slack pass from Reece McAlear was intercepted, and Miguel Chaiwa sent Nathan Lowe sprinting clear. Lowe finished with a low shot that beat goalkeeper Toby Steward.
The home side regained the lead before the break. Bosnian full-back Enes Alic drove into the box and was nudged over by Martin Boyle, resulting in a penalty. Fowler stepped up and slotted it home for his fourth Premiership goal of the campaign. He nearly completed a hat-trick early in the second half but was eventually withdrawn in the 72nd minute.
How did Hibs try to fight back?
Hibernian manager David Gray was forced into a change on the hour when Grant Hanley went off injured, replaced by Kanayo Megwa. The substitute almost made an immediate impact, meeting a corner with a powerful back-post header that required a brilliant one-handed stop from Toby Steward on his line. St Johnstone manager Simo Valakari then reshuffled, bringing on Matty Todd and reverting to a back five to protect the lead.
Hibs continued to press, and a late chance fell to Thibault Klidje, but he struck his effort off his own teammate, Ante Suto. The visitors were the better team in the second period but Simo Valakari’s team held on for a 2-1 success, as the St Johnstone manager noted after the match.
What is Hibernian's current situation?
The loss compounds a difficult period for Hibs, who have now conceded nine goals while scoring seven this season. They are also dealing with injuries to key defenders, with Rocky Bushiri and Jordan Obita currently sidelined, as shown on the club's injuries page. This defensive fragility was evident in Perth, where they conceded two preventable goals.
With the international break now over, attention turns to a critical Edinburgh derby. Hibs' next fixture is a massive away trip to face Heart of Midlothian, who are second in the table, on December 27th. Fans can track the build-up and all the key dates on the club's fixtures schedule.
