The Hibees showed remarkable resilience to produce a much-improved second half performance and see off dogged Ross County at Easter Road in the final home game before Christmas of 2024/25.
The win allows Hibs to climb off the foot of the William Hill Premiership and up to eighth in the table - however it was earnt the hard way.
A poor first half saw the visitors take an early lead through Eli Campbell with only a combination of poor finishing, excellent goalkeeping and brave defending preventing them from taking a commanding lead in the game.
Deep into first half stoppage time, Dwight Gayle headed home a leveller.
Everything that had been missing during the first half was suddenly there during the spirited second and although Nicky Cadden saw a penalty kick saved by Jack Hamilton, our fighting spirit was not going to be denied.
Elie Youan converted our second spot kick of the afternoon before the goalscorer turned provider and set up substitute Josh Campbell with a tap-in to put the game to bed deep into stoppage time.
Injuries sustained in our away encounter with Celtic resulted in three changes for the contest with Ross County.
With Mykola Kuharevich and Lewis Miller both picking up knocks, their places in the starting XI were taken by Chris Cadden and Gayle. The other change saw Junior Hoilett replacing Jordan Obita.
It took just 90 seconds for the Staggies to slice us open as Noah Chivers was sent clean through on goal only for Jordan Smith to make a terrific save.
Smith’s stop mattered little as County scored from the resulting corner kick when Scott Allardice’s header struck the post and Campbell followed in to score from the rebound.
The Highlanders sensed blood and there was a heart in the mouth moment when Chilvers slalomed through the centre of the park only for his shot to be deflected just wide of Smith’s near post.
Our first attack of note came on 14 minutes when Nicky Cadden picked out Hoilett’s run to the back post; the diminutive winger got between two defenders but was only able to guide his header wide of Jack Hamilton’s post.
That proved to be only brief respite as County returned to attack whilst we continued to look unconvincing at best.
The visitors were picking up gaps all over our final third and following a move down the left, Connor Randall saw an effort deflected just wide.
Don Cowie’s men went close to doubling their advantage when Josh Nisbet’s powerful shot had to be pushed away at full stretch by Smith as County had another effort on our goal.
Our forwards by contrast were living off scraps and it took a brilliant bit of individual skill from Elie Youan to drive towards goal from wide left only for Chris Cadden to have the ball taken off his toes from the cutback.
The visitors suffered a blow when goalscorer Campbell picked up an injury and had to be replaced by Ryan Leak.
Towards the end of the first half, Hibs started to make inroads towards the County goal and skipper Joe Newell wasn’t far away with a rising effort that flashed just wide of Hamilton’s far post.
In the sixth minute of added time at the end of the first period we levelled. Hoilett was played in on the right of the box and hung up a cross into the near post that Gayle glanced past Hamilton to restore parity.
Hibs started the second half brightly and should’ve made more of two big opportunities after Nicky Cadden’s powerful shot on the angle was parried by Hamilton. The first fell kindly for Youan only for him to slice his shot, then Newell blazed high over the crossbar from a cutback seconds later.
Gayle’s cross from the right was then only just too high for Hoilett as the pair looked to combine once more.
It was a much-improved performance from us however we were lucky not to concede following a counterattack as Newell’s slip allowed Alex Samuel through on goal; the County man delaying too long and allowing Iredale back to make a big block.
It was a big let-off for us and we were soon back on the offensive with Gayle peeling off his marker to meet a Nicky Cadden cross that he guided just wide of the near post.
Warren O’Hora then headed just wide from a corner kick before both teams made two changes with Campbell and Jordan Obita on for us, whilst Victor Loturi and Jordan White were thrown on by County.
On 67 minutes, the Hibees were awarded a penalty kick when George Harmon hauled Gayle down inside the area. Nicky Cadden took the kick only for Hamilton to save brilliantly with his legs.
It was a blow; however the boys kept the pressure on the visitors’ goal and three minutes later we had another spot kick after Leak brought down Campbell unnecessarily.
This time Youan took the kick and although Hamilton guessed correctly, there was nothing he could do to stop it finding his net as the ball struck the inside of the post and went in.
In the moments that followed Hamilton almost sliced a back pass into his net before Rocky’s looping header from Nicky Cadden’s cross flashed just over the crossbar.
As the clock ticked down towards full-time the visitors pushed hard for a leveller with Chilvers and Akil Wright both seeing efforts deflected just off target.
There were eight additional minutes signalled by the fourth official due to the lengthy VAR checks and many substitutions made by the teams.
In the fourth of those additional minutes we broke away following a Ross County corner when Kwon fed Youan, he spun away from James Brown, racing clean through before drawing Hamilton and squaring for Campbell to tap in the decisive goal.
In the 99th minute a mistake from Leak allowed Youan through again but this time on the angle Hamilton saved.
It was therefore three massive points that were earned the hard way but see Hibs up to eighth in the table.
