St Mirren were beaten 2-0 by Hibernian at Easter Road with goals in either half seeing the home side keep all three points in Leith.
Owen Elding opened the scoring deep in the first-half before substitute Ante Suto added a second on 66 minutes.
Saints made three changes to the side that lost to Kilmarnock on Wednesday night. Conor McMenamin, Jake Young and Dan Nlundulu came in from the start in place of Jayden Richardson, Roland Idowu and Mikael Mandron.
McMenamin had the game's first opportunity on seven minutes when his effort forced a save from Hibernian goalkeeper Raphael Sallinger. Young's driving run saw him find Killian Phillips with a nice pass around 20 yards from goal. The Irish midfielder fed it wide to McMenamin who came in off the right and tried his luck from a tight angle. Sallinger had to be at full stretch to tip it over the bar.
The hosts threatened soon after. Declan John made a vital block inside the Saints six-yard box to deny Miguel Chaiwa a free shot on goal before Dane Scarlett headed a Jack Iredale cross into the arms of Shamal George a minute or so later. Chaiwa was involved again on 17 minutes when an attempted Saints clearance fell to the midfielder on the edge of the area. He struck it low and with power but it was straight at George who managed to block before the Buddies defence cleared.
Young forced a big save from Sallinger on 24 minutes after being sent down the left by Miguel Freckleton. The forward did well to turn away from the covering defender in the box before seeing his shot saved by the feet of Sallinger. It wouldn't have stood had he scored though with the offside flag being raised. A minute later the striker sent a snapshot wide from 25 yards as the game hit a lull.
The home side opened the scoring with three minutes of normal time remaining in the first-half. A quick corner was played short to Dan Barlaser who swung a cross in to meet Elding who had peeled away from his marker to head into the far corner of the net.
Stephen Robinson made two changes at the interval with Roland Idowu and Mikael Mandron replacing Jacob Devaney and Young. It was the home side that would almost double their advantage five minutes after the restart. Nicky Cadden managed to get in down the right-hand side. There was suspicions of offside but no flagged was raised. The Hibs winger swung the ball to the back post where it found Felix Passlack unmarked at the back stick. He struck onto the post and it bounced clear to the relief of Saints.
The Buddies were denied the chance to draw level on 55 minutes after a wonderful save from Sallinger. Brilliant pressing from Gogic saw Saints win the ball high up in the Hibs half and Mandron ran on to the loose ball. He drove forward before striking from 20 yards. Sallinger did so well to keep the home side ahead as he got a strong hand to turn it over.
Saints made another double substitution before the hour mark with the introduction of Mark O'Hara and Jalmaro Calvin in place of Marcus Fraser and Dan Nlundulu.
Mark O'Hara made his return to action (Image: Andy Barr)
Hibs made two changes of their own six minutes later when they brought on Martin Boyle and Ante Suto for Scarlett and Elding. It was Suto who would double Hibs' advantage just three minutes after his arrival when he would force home a low cross from Cadden after George couldn't gather.
Full-Time: Hibernian 2-0 St Mirren
St Mirren: George, Fraser (c) (O'Hara 58), King, Freckleton, McMenamin (Richardson 71), Phillips, Devaney (Idowu 46), Gogic, John, Nlundulu (Calvin 58), Young (Mandron 46)
Subs: Mullen, Tanser, Donnelly, Etete
Hibernian: Sallinger, O'Hora (c), Bushiri, Iredale, Passlack, Barlaser, N. Cadden, McGrath (Campbell 89), Chaiwa (Andrews 77), Scarlett (Suto 64), Elding (Boyle 64)
Subs: Smith, Megwa, Alasana, Youan, Molotnikov
Referee: Dan McFarlane
AR1: David McGeachie
AR2: Liam Duncan
Fourth Official: Lloyd Wilson
VAR: Matthew MacDermid
