St Mirren take the points after win in the capital

St Mirren take the points after win in the capital


Connor Ronan's fifth goal of the season gives Saints first win at Easter Road since 2016.

 

Jim Goodwin's side have won three of their four cinch Premiership matches of 2022.

St Mirren's unbeaten run in 2022 continued as Connor Ronan's second-half goal saw Saints defeat Hibernian at Easter Road.

The Irishman scored his fifth goal of the season just after the hour mark to make it four wins from five for Jim Goodwin's side and move us to within a point of top six.

The manager made one change for the side that drew with Motherwell midweek. Alex Greive, back from international duty with New Zealand, came in for his first start in place of the injured Eamonn Brophy. 

The New Zealand forward was almost the recipient of a dangerous looking ball across from Jordan Jones with just eight minutes played, but the cross had too much on it for Greive to get proper contact. 

New Zealand international Alex Greive made his first start for Saints (Image: Craig Brown)

Saints pressed and harried the hosts in the opening exchanges forcing them into mistakes and frustrating the Easter Road crowd. Richard Tait was given an abundance of time and space to curl wide from 25 yards on 17 minutes before Jones blasted over from the same sort of range a minute later. 

Greive was sent away on the counter on 22 minutes with Lewis Stevenson hesitant to close the ball down. Greive drove forward but with no support he had a go from an angle which Kevin Dabrowski managed to push away. 

The Buddies defence was called into action a few minutes later with Joe Shaughnessy and Richard Tait making a vital goal-saving block to deny Hibernian's American forward Chris Mueller. It was end-to-end stuff with neither goalkeeper really having much to do in the first half-hour. 

Saints finished the half the stronger of the two sides with Connor Ronan in two opportunities in the final minutes of the opening 45. The Irishman dragged wide from 20 yards on 41 minutes. Two minutes later Ronan showed great feet to work his way by a couple of challenges before rolling into the path of Jay Henderson whose effort with the outside of his boot was palmed away by Dabrowski. 

Hibernian manager Shaun Maloney made a change at the break with Ewan Henderson replacing Christian Doidge and the substitute almost put the home side in front on 52 minutes. He was found well by Kevin Nisbet in the centre of the box, but Jak Alnwick was out to brilliantly block. 

The Saints goalkeeper had to be at his best to deny Henderson again four minutes later. Once again it was Nisbet who set it up for Henderson whose attempt 15 yards out was tipped over by Alnwick. 

Despite a slow start to the second-half, Jim Goodwin's men would take the lead just after the hour mark. Ronan robbed ex-Saint Jake Doyle-Hayes of the ball 20 yards from goal and slammed into the roof of the net after breaking into the box. 

Hibernian almost immediately found themselves level with Alnwick at full stretch to just claw Nisbet's close-range effort by the post. 

Jak Alnwick kept his third clean sheet of 2022 (Image: Craig Brown)

Greive was inches away from scoring his first Saints goal and doubling our lead with around 20 minutes of play remaining. Jones caught the Hibernian defence out with his low ball across the box with Greive just unable to connect. 

The home side had the majority of the pressure in the final stages as they searched for an equaliser. But they couldn't trouble Alnwick or the Saints defence which ensured all the points are heading back to Paisley.

Full-Time: Hibernian 0-1 St Mirren

Saints applaud the travelling support at full-time (Image: Craig Brown)

St Mirren: Alnwick, Fraser, Shaughnessy (c), Dunne, Tait, Power (Erhahon 70), Ronan, J.Henderson (Flynn 62), Kiltie, Jones (Millar 78), Greive (Main 70)
Subs Not Used: Lyness, McCarthy, Erwin

Hibernian: Dabrowski, Cadden, Bushiri, Porteous, Stevenson (Doig 81), Mitchell (Scott 81), Doyle-Hayes (Allan 82), Campbell (Jasper 70), Mueller, Doidge (E. Henderson 46), Nisbet
Subs Not Used: Macey, McGinn, Wright, McGregor

Referee: Greg Aitken
Assistant Referee: Alan Mulvanny
Assistant Referee: Daniel McFarlane
Fourth Official: Dan McFarlane

Attendance: 13,227

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