Hibernian fell to the bottom of the Scottish Premiership on Saturday, 17 October, after a 1-2 home loss to Falkirk extended Marink Reedijk’s tough start as manager.
The defeat leaves the Edinburgh club with seven points and a goal difference of minus five after nine matches. While Ross County’s scoring surge has kept the Highland side unbeaten at the top of Scottish League One, Hibernian are rooted to the foot of the top flight. Reedijk has now lost both of his league fixtures in charge ahead of a home meeting with Celtic at Easter Road on Sunday, 25 October.
Falkirk forward Jacob Murrell put the visitors in charge with two first-half goals. He scored the opener in the 13th minute after Ryan Strain picked him out in space, and he added a second from a tight angle in the 37th minute.
Owen Elding replied for Hibernian three minutes later when he turned in a low cross from Felix Passlack. The hosts pressed for an equaliser in the second half and thought they had won a penalty for a foul on Thibault Klidjé, only for VAR to overturn the call because the contact happened outside the box. Martin Boyle fired the resulting free-kick over the crossbar, and Hibernian could not find a leveller. The club’s match report covers all of the match incidents and chances.
Reedijk calls for fewer mistakes
Saturday’s loss followed a 1-0 defeat away to Dundee United on 10 October in Reedijk’s first game as Hibernian manager. His players showed attacking intent against Falkirk, yet they paid the price for conceding twice before half-time and failing to turn second-half pressure into goals.
Speaking after the game, Reedijk pointed to individual errors as the main reason for the defeat. “For me, we gave away two goals. I think for the rest of the match we dominated and scored a good goal to get back into the match,” he told Hibs TV.
The manager added that his team recorded “17 shots or so” and needed sharper decision-making in the final third, where the forwards have struggled to put together a consistent goal run. Reedijk said in the club’s post-match interview,
We need to limit our mistakes, continue doing what we’re doing and make sure we’re more clinical, because at the end of the day, that’s what’s missing at the moment.
Hibernian appointed the Dutch coach in September after he guided Belgian side SK Beveren to an unbeaten league title last season. He took over an Edinburgh team that was already struggling for form, and his immediate job is to turn positive spells of play into points.
That task continues on Sunday, 25 October, when Celtic visit Easter Road. The Glasgow side have set the early pace in their title challenge, topping the Premiership with 24 points from nine matches following a 7-1 win over Hearts on Sunday, 18 October. Hibernian then play away at St Mirren on 28 October before meeting city rivals Hearts in the Premier Sports Cup semi-final on 1 November. Those fixtures give Reedijk a quick opportunity to steady the campaign, provided his players can cut out the mistakes that have cost them so far.
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