Dundee vs Hibernian. Scottish Premiership.
The Scot Foam Stadium at Dens ParkAttendance6,652.
Report as Hibernian make it back-to-back league victories with a 2-1 win at Dundee
Saturday 25 November 2023 21:08, UK
Hibernian held on with 10 players to secure their second Scottish Premiership win in a row by beating Dundee in a pulsating contest at Dens Park.
The visitors took the lead in the first half with a well-worked move finished off by Jair Tavares and doubled their advantage after the break through Lewis Miller, who was sent off just minutes later.
Dundee grabbed what proved to be a late consolation goal with Owen Beck hitting the back of the net but the visitors held on to take all three points.
The result moves Hibs up to fifth in the table with the Dark Blues dropping down to seventh.
Dundee boss Tony Docherty and his Hibs counterpart Nick Montgomery kept faith with their teams that beat St Mirren and Kilmarnock respectively in the last games before the international break.
The visitors had an early appeal for a penalty in the eighth minute when Miller went down under a challenge in the home box by Amadou Bakayoko but referee Don Robertson saw no offence.
Hibs then had a clear-cut chance to open the scoring when Tavares teed up Josh Campbell but he blasted over when he should have tested Dundee 'keeper Trevor Carson.
However, Hibs stormed into the lead in the 16th minute when Tavares played the ball wide to Dylan Vente who cut the ball back for Tavares and he made no mistake, rifling low past the exposed Carson.
The hosts came close to equalising just six minutes later when Bakayoko played in Luke McCowan who hit a crisp, low shot with Hibs 'keeper David Marshall pulling off a stunning stop, diving to his left.
Five minutes after the restart, Dundee's on-loan Liverpool defender Beck embarked on a storming run deep into the Hibs half before being chopped down by Rocky Bushiri with referee Robertson deciding a yellow card was sufficient punishment.
Hibs then doubled their advantage in the 58th minute when Joe Newell swung a corner in from the right with Miller rising highest to head past Carson.
Just five minutes later, Miller's joy turned to despair as he was shown what was his second yellow card of the afternoon - quickly followed by a red - for a foul on Beck.
From the resulting free-kick, the ball was worked to Bakayoko but, with the goal at his mercy, the Sierra Leone international fired straight at Marshall who gratefully gathered.
Dundee grabbed a lifeline in the 86th minute - Beck's initial shot was blocked but he reacted quickest to rifle home the rebound.
Marshall then made a stunning stop from a McCowan curler as Dundee pressed for a dramatic late equaliser with Hibs holding on to head back to Edinburgh with all three points in the bag.
Hibs boss Nick Montgomery said: "We've been 2-0 up in a few games and conceded late and dropped points but we deserved more in some of those games. You don't always get what you deserve.
"I was really proud of the boys. They work really hard and internally we had to fix it. Whether it was a mental thing or us not playing our football and heads dropping, we've addressed it and it's great to see us putting bodies on the line."
Dundee boss Tony Docherty believed Hibs should have been reduced to 10 men earlier when Rocky Bushiri chopped down Beck in full flight.
He said: "I thought it was reckless, high and at the speed Beck was going through I was worried for him.
"I thought it might be a possible bad injury. VAR must have looked at it and thought it wasn't.
"I'm disappointed. They got three wrong and two affected us. It's how it impacts your season. In the Kilmarnock game we're 1-0 up and lose him (Mulligan) and then lose him for two games.
"There was also a perfectly good goal chopped off. I'm disappointed but we move on."
Dundee's next Scottish Premiership match is at home to Motherwell on December 2. Kick-off 3pm.
Hibernian host Aberdeen on December 3. Kick-off 3pm.
