Match ends, Hibernian 2, St. Johnstone 2.
HibernianHibernian2St JohnstoneSt Johnstone2
Hibernian are at tipping point after only one win in five games following a good start to the season, head coach Jack Ross said after their 2-2 draw at home to St Johnstone.
Ross' men came from behind twice with a double from defender Paul McGinn to move third in the Scottish Premiership.
Ali McCann and former Hibs midfielder David Wotherspoon scored for Saints.
"I would describe it as a good season at the moment, but it can tip either way," Ross told BBC Scotland.
"We need to get it back to being a very good season. We need to have that ambition to win every game at Easter Road and the expectation to go and win it."
While Hibs move above Aberdeen, who play Hamilton Academical on Wednesday, on goal difference after stretching their unbeaten home run to six games, they have failed to defeat St Johnstone in their last six visits to Easter Road.
Gathering another point in Leith not only moves the Perth side above Motherwell into seventh but stretches their unbeaten league run to five outings.
Ross, perhaps not surprisingly, had stuck with the line-up that went so close to beating Celtic on Saturday, but it was a different story for counterpart Callum Davidson.
Defender Jason Kerr, an ever-present this season, and influential midfielders Murray Davidson and Craig Conway missed out through injury as the stretched visitors only named six players on their bench.
Being the more-settled side looked to favour Hibs in the early moments as Jamie Murphy broke into the penalty box and fired straight at goalkeeper Zander Clark.
However, the visitors settled and perhaps only a lack of match sharpness prevented Guy Melamed opening the scoring.
The Israeli striker, making his first league start since his switch from Maccabi Netanya, showed neat footwork to deceive a couple of defenders inside the penalty box but shot over.
Michael O'Halloran fired just wide before Hibs lost centre-half Paul Hanlon to injury and St Johnstone took the lead when Stevie May forced a deflection off substitute Darren McGregor and Northern Ireland midfielder McCann pounced to side-foot home from 15 yards.
Hibs were level within 60 seconds as a ricochet at the other end gave Kevin Nisbet the chance to set up defender McGinn to fire in off the far post.
Nisbet and Joe Newell both missed the target and Murphy shot straight at Clark from good positions inside the visitors' six-yard box before Wotherspoon threatened to win it for St Johnstone with a thrusting run and finish from the edge of the penalty area.
However, McGinn's powerful effort denied the Perth side a fourth consecutive away win and ensured a fifth game against the visitors without defeat, as the symmetry of neither side having beaten the other at home in nine meetings since 2014 was preserved.
Man of the match - Jamie Murphy
What did we learn?
Rangers manager Steven Gerrard said before his side entertained Aberdeen on Sunday that we could not rule the Pittodrie side and Hibs out of the title race, but after Rangers won 4-0 and Hibs suffered this latest home stumble, it seems we can.
Hibs are more realistically involved in a head to head with Aberdeen for third and, although they have now only lost twice in 11 outings, Ross' side have only won once in five and are level with their rivals having played two games more.
While Hibs' challenge is stalling, St Johnstone appear to be on the march and, after again proving to be a thorn in the Edinburgh outfit's side - despite injuries to key players - must be viewing a top-six finish as a realistic target.
What did they say?
Hibernian head coach Jack Ross: "The positives were the character the players showed being behind twice and coming back into it and the attacking play at times was good. But we've become a little bit easy to score against. We need to show more hunger to keep the ball out."
St Johnstone manager Callum Davidson: "When you go 2-1 up with 20 minutes to go, you're hoping to see the game out. Hibs played some really good stuff. I think at stages we both played well, we both defended poorly, very similar.
"I thought the effort tonight was magnificent. We're four players down in a small squad."
What's next?
Both sides are in League Cup second round action on Saturday as Hibs look to repeat their 4-1 group win at home to Dundee (15:00 GMT), while St Johnstone visit Motherwell (15:00) in a reverse of venue after Sunday's 1-1 Premiership draw.
Hibs next visit Motherwell in the league on 5 December, with St Johnstone visiting Celtic the following day.
Player of the match
McCannAlistair McCann
with an average of 7.93
Hibernian
Avg
- Squad number6Player nameMcGinnAverage rating
6.88
- Squad number18Player nameMurphyAverage rating
6.78
- Squad number1Player nameMarcianoAverage rating
6.10
- Squad number15Player nameNisbetAverage rating
5.69
- Squad number26Player nameMackieAverage rating
5.51
- Squad number13Player nameGogicAverage rating
5.47
- Squad number5Player namePorteousAverage rating
5.40
- Squad number11Player nameNewellAverage rating
5.30
- Squad number10Player nameBoyleAverage rating
5.05
- Squad number24Player nameMcGregorAverage rating
4.97
- Squad number9Player nameDoidgeAverage rating
4.92
- Squad number14Player nameMallanAverage rating
4.84
- Squad number4Player nameHanlonAverage rating
4.53
- Squad number19Player nameGullanAverage rating
4.47
St Johnstone
Avg
- Squad number18Player nameMcCannAverage rating
7.93
- Squad number4Player nameMcCartAverage rating
7.71
- Squad number14Player nameMayAverage rating
7.29
- Squad number15Player nameMcNamaraAverage rating
7.16
- Squad number17Player nameMelamedAverage rating
7.15
- Squad number10Player nameWotherspoonAverage rating
7.07
- Squad number19Player nameRooneyAverage rating
7.06
- Squad number3Player nameTanserAverage rating
6.88
- Squad number11Player nameO'HalloranAverage rating
6.88
- Squad number26Player nameCraigAverage rating
6.85
- Squad number6Player nameGordonAverage rating
6.77
- Squad number1Player nameClarkAverage rating
6.57
- Squad number9Player nameKaneAverage rating
5.68
Line-ups
Hibernian
Formation 4-5-1
- 1Marciano
- 6McGinn
- 5Porteous
- 4HanlonSubstituted forMcGregorat 21'minutesBooked at 70mins
- 26Mackie
- 10Boyle
- 14Mallan
- 13GogicSubstituted forDoidgeat 56'minutes
- 11Newell
- 18Murphy
- 15NisbetSubstituted forGullanat 83'minutes
Substitutes
- 2Gray
- 8Wright
- 9Doidge
- 19Gullan
- 20Hallberg
- 22McGinn
- 24McGregor
- 25Doig
- 33Barnes
St Johnstone
Formation 3-4-2-1
- 1Clark
- 19Rooney
- 6Gordon
- 4McCart
- 15McNamara
- 26Craig
- 18McCann
- 3Tanser
- 17MelamedSubstituted forWotherspoonat 61'minutes
- 11O'Halloran
- 14MaySubstituted forKaneat 87'minutes
Substitutes
- 9Kane
- 10Wotherspoon
- 12Parish
- 22Hendry
- 24Booth
- 46Ferguson
- Referee:
- Kevin Clancy
Match Stats
Home TeamHibernianAway TeamSt Johnstone
- Possession
- Home65%
- Away35%
- Shots
- Home11
- Away12
- Shots on Target
- Home4
- Away3
- Corners
- Home4
- Away4
- Fouls
- Home10
- Away8
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Hibernian 2, St. Johnstone 2.
Post update
Corner, St. Johnstone. Conceded by Stephen Mallan.
Post update
Attempt blocked. David Wotherspoon (St. Johnstone) right footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked.
Substitution
Substitution, St. Johnstone. Christopher Kane replaces Stevie May.
Post update
Hand ball by Shaun Rooney (St. Johnstone).
Post update
Corner, Hibernian. Conceded by Scott Tanser.
Substitution
Substitution, Hibernian. James Gullan replaces Kevin Nisbet.
Goal!
Goal! Hibernian 2, St. Johnstone 2. Paul McGinn (Hibernian) right footed shot from the right side of the box to the bottom left corner.
Post update
Attempt missed. Stevie May (St. Johnstone) right footed shot from the left side of the six yard box is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by David Wotherspoon with a cross.
Goal!
Goal! Hibernian 1, St. Johnstone 2. David Wotherspoon (St. Johnstone) right footed shot from outside the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Alistair McCann.
Post update
Foul by Joe Newell (Hibernian).
Post update
Liam Craig (St. Johnstone) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Attempt saved. Jamie Murphy (Hibernian) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Martin Boyle with a cross.
Post update
Attempt missed. Alistair McCann (St. Johnstone) right footed shot from the right side of the box is high and wide to the right.
Post update
Attempt missed. David Wotherspoon (St. Johnstone) right footed shot from outside the box is too high.
Post update
Corner, St. Johnstone. Conceded by Joe Newell.
Post update
Attempt blocked. Scott Tanser (St. Johnstone) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Booking
Darren McGregor (Hibernian) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Post update
Foul by Darren McGregor (Hibernian).
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