Heckingbottom enjoys winning start as Hibernian beat Hamilton

Posted Sunday, February 17, 2019 by PA

Paul Heckingbottom enjoyed a winning start to his Easter Road reign as Hibernian beat Hamilton 2-0.

First-half goals from Florian Kamberi and Marc McNulty, from the penalty spot, handed new head coach Heckingbottom three Ladbrokes Premiership points.

Hibs were well worth their half-time lead and Hamilton could not get the breakthrough they needed to avert Brian Rice’s first defeat in three matches as head coach despite an improved second-half performance.

Former Barnsley and Leeds manager Heckingbottom had two days on the training field with his new players and named the same team that beat Raith Rovers in Eddie May and Grant Murray’s final game in caretaker charge.

Hibs threatened early when McNulty cut the ball back to Kamberi at the near post but Hamilton goalkeeper Gary Woods made a good block.

Tony Andreu had a snapshot saved at the other end after a free-kick into the box before Hibs took the lead in the 17th minute.

Daryl Horgan delivered a brilliant inswinging cross from the left and Kamberi wheeled away in celebration after appearing to get a glancing touch with his boot as the ball nestled in the far corner.

The hosts came close from a similar move when Kamberi beat Woods to Horgan’s cross on the six-yard line. However, the striker’s header bounced off the top of the bar and into the goalkeeper’s arms.

Hibs were awarded a soft penalty in the 39th minute when Alan Muir penalised Lennard Sowah as the Hamilton left-back collided with David Gray while the Hibs captain headed the ball forward just inside the box. McNulty delivered an emphatic finish as Woods dived the wrong way.

Accies had lacked imagination in the first half, too often hitting the ball long to be invariably won by Hibs centre-backs Paul Hanlon and Darren McGregor. But they managed to utilise the guile of Mickel Miller after the break as they made a game of it.

Miller sent a curling effort inches over before setting up David McMillan to fire a shot that Ofir Marciano saved. The wide player later turned Hanlon inside and out before hitting the outside of the post from a tight angle.

Hibs also had chances, mostly on the break, with Kamberi and McNulty both being denied, and the second half remained finely poised until the final 10 minutes as the hosts stepped up a gear.

Oli Shaw had the chance to punish Hamilton on the counter-attack but lost the ball with two team-mates unmarked in the middle, and another Hibs substitute, Stephane Omeonga, hit the post with an angled drive.