Hibernian Bid To Bounce Back From Tricky Campaign
Hibernian will look to push forwards into a new era in the 2024/25 Scottish Premier League season after a difficult campaign saw the Edinburgh side miss out on the top six for the second time in three seasons.
The Macklin Motors-backed outfit headed into the season eager to improve on a fifth place finish in the league, which had seen Hibs end the campaign two points being Edinburgh rivals.
That meant a place in the second qualifying round of the Europa Conference League and an early start to the new season – which kicked off in late July in Andorra against Inter Club d’Escaldes.
Inter’s previous wins in European competition had come against the likes of Faroese outfits Havnar Boltfelag and Vikingur as well as Societa Polisportiva La Fiorita from San Marino – making Hearts the overwhelming favourites to progress to the next round.
A 2-1 defeat therefore was far below expectations, with a late goal from Joe Newell being the only positive in front of fewer than 300 fans. Normal service would be resumed however a week later, with Martin Boyle settling the nerves with an early double as Hibs fought back to win 6-1 on the night and progress 7-3 on aggregate to set up a tie with Swiss side Luzern.
Prior to that, the league season kicked off at Easter Road against St Mirren, where the visitors raced into a two goal lead within the opening 20 minutes. Adam Le Fondre and Christian Doidge brought Hibs level in the second half, but a late goal from Alex Greive meant it was St Mirren who picked up the points.
A 3-1 win over Luzern in the first leg of the third qualifying round in Europe was a good way to bounce back, although the following weekend would end in more disappointment in the league with a 2-1 loss at Motherwell.
A second leg draw with Luzern ensured European progress, whilst the League Cup campaign kicked off with victory over Raith Rovers. Aston Villa however would then bring an abrupt end to any hopes of making the group stage of the Conference League, with the English side winning 5-0 at Easter Road in the first leg of the European play-off.
A third successive defeat in the league against Livingston meant five losses in nine games to start the campaign and it would result in Lee Johnson being removed from his role as manager, with David Gray stepping in to oversee the second leg loss to Aston Villa before Hibs picked up a first league win of the campaign against Aberdeen – winning at Pittodrie thanks to goals from Le Fondre and Doidge.
The international break provided the chance to bring in a new manager, with Nick Montgomery returning to the UK from Australia to take the role having guided Central Coast Mariners to the A League title.
Montgomery’s first game in charge saw Hibs lose a two goal lead to draw at Kilmarnock before a straightforward 2-0 win at home to St Johnstone and a victory against St Mirren that ensured progress to the semi-finals of the League Cup.
However, a goalless draw at home to Dundee in the final game of September would kick off a winless run that ran through to early November – with five draws and two defeats, one of which saw Aberdeen win the League Cup semi-final at Hampden Park.
With twelve games done in the league, Hibs had won just twice to sit eighth in the table but a mini resurgence resulted in a climb up the standings into the top six, with a Josh Campbell goal against Kilmarnock providing a return to winning ways.
Despite being reduced to ten men when Lewis Miller was sent off at Dundee, Hibs secured back-to-back wins for the first time under Montgomery in the following game before gaining revenge on Aberdeen for the cup defeat with a 2-0 win at Easter Road.
Although Celtic ended the winning run with a comprehensive win in Glasgow, Martin Boyle’s goal against Livingston on 9 December left Hibernian in fourth in the standings and a single point behind third-placed St Mirren.
That would prove to be the highpoint of the season however, with a run of eight league games without a win seeing Hibs slide outside the top six – although in amongst that run were Scottish Cup wins against Forfar and Inverness Caledonian Thistle to progress to the quarter-final stage.
The winless win would be ended with a victory over Dundee at Easter Road, with January loan signing Myziane Maolida scoring what would prove to be the winner.
Home wins against Ross County and Livingston – alongside two away draws – moved Hibs back into the top six, with the focus for the remainder of the season firmly on the league after Rangers ended the Scottish Cup dream in the quarter-finals.
Defeat against the same team in the league saw Hibs slip back to seventh and a home loss to St Johnstone in the next game meant the battle to make it into the top six came down to the final game before the split at Fir Park against Motherwell, who also harboured top six hopes.
A penalty from Maolida looked like it would keep Hibernian in contention – with Dundee having a game in hand still to play – but a late equaliser from Shane Blaney meant both sides would be consigned to the bottom six.
The final five games of the campaign started with a 3-1 win against St Johnstone, but successive losses to Ross County and Aberdeen – who won 4-0 at Easter Road – meant the end of Montgomery’s time in charge as he was removed from his position.
Gray took control again for the final two matches and led Hibs to a win against Motherwell in the final home game for club legends Paul Hanlon and Lewis Stevenson before a draw on the road at Livingston.
It resulted in an eighth place finish in the standings, with Hibs hoping for more from what will be Gray’s first season in charge after he was appointed as manager on a full-time basis.
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