Late show at Easter Road

An enthralling match saw the spoils shared on a freezing night in Leith, after the home side overcame a 0-2 half time deficit, pulling level in the 86th minute after subtstitute Abdesslam Benjelloun converted from the penalty spot. Anthony Stokes had earlier halved the Aberdeen lead, established through a neat finish from Paton, and a piece of quick thinking from Steven MacLean, setting up a grandstand finish to an entertaining match.

Underfoot conditions were far from ideal, and the visitors adapted best to this in the first half, as Hibs too often overcomplicated their play on a difficult surface. Hibs enjoyed the majority of the pressure, though, before the break, but created few clear shooting opportunities, as Colin Nish, among others, struggled all too often with his touch on the bobbly Easter Road turf.

A change to a more direct style from the home side in the second half was an astute tactical move on the part of Hughes. He had seen the usual width offered to his team by fullbacks Wotherspoon and Murray, largely curtailed by the presence of Aluko and Paton on the Aberdeen wings before the interval. Stokes struck on forty-nine minutes, his shot from 22 yards bamboozling Jamie Langfield in the Aberdeen goal, and Hibs pressed for the equaliser. The introduction of Zemmama, first, then Benjelloun, and finally new boy Gow, saw the Hibees move to an audacious 3-2-5 formation as they searched for a second goal, and it was Zander Diamond who provided the assist.

The ball struck the arm of the Aberdeen centre back after Nish won a header in the penalty area, referee Thomson pointed to the spot, and Benjelloun sent Langfield the wrong way to earn his side a vital point.