Marink Reedijk pinpoints key Hibs change after Aberdeen win

It was the Dutchman’s first Scottish Premiership win since taking charge of the Edinburgh club and an emphatic way to secure it, with Hibs returning south with three points, four goals and a clean sheet.

The result also lifted them off the bottom of the table, although Reedijk was more interested in the manner of the victory and the confidence his players can take from it.

“We deserved the win,” he said, speaking to Premier Sports after the ga. “Throughout the whole game we dominated.

“It’s not easy to play here. It’s not easy to play against the style of play Aberdeen have, especially in the first half. You saw that we struggled in some moments, in my opinion, and too much for my liking, but, okay, that’s football.

“But we backed it up in the second half, not only with the starting eleven, but also with the guys who came on.”

Reedijk reserved particular praise for Alex Williams, who was required earlier than anticipated after being introduced inside the opening ten minutes.

“Alex Williams, who had to come on after ten minutes, did a fantastic job,” he added. “The guys who came on in the second half, most of them got on the score sheet.

“We do things together with the team, with the fans who are here again. It’s a long drive, so it’s fantastic. We have to keep on going like this.”

Hibs’ difficult start to the campaign had left them propping up the Premiership going into the trip north, but Reedijk is reluctant to attach too much significance to their position at this stage of the season.

For him, the more telling aspects of an impressive afternoon in the Granite City were the three points collected and a first clean sheet to complement an increasingly encouraging level of performance.

“For me, it’s more that we got the three points,” he said. “The league table is important when we come to the end of the season.

“The more points we get, the higher we are in the table. It’s an automatic thing. The other thing for me that is important is that we kept a clean sheet. We scored four goals. That gives confidence, and the performance was good.

“We’re now combining performances with results, and that’s really important.”

The international break means Hibs must now wait before attempting to build on the result, but Reedijk feels the pause offers his players a welcome opportunity to recover following an intense run of fixtures.

He has no intention of allowing attention to drift towards where Hibs might eventually find themselves in the standings, insisting the focus will remain firmly on the next assignment.

“We can’t influence the table,” he said. “We can only influence the results in the matches that are coming, but the next match is the most important.

“It’s important that we refresh and that the guys get a chance to rest because it’s been an intense few weeks.

“We have to make sure that we come back in the same shape and maybe even a better shape after the break.”