Hibs instant analysis: Gray's audition continues in low key draw

Myziane Maolida netted what looks set to be a farewell goal early in the second-half, only for it to be cancelled out by Bruce Anderson as he slotted beyond Jojo Wollacott at the back post. Hibs looked the more likely to grab a winner, but couldn't find a way to sign off the season with a victory.

The afternoon will mark a final Hibs appearance for several of this team, and not least Paul Hanlon, as he captained his boyhood club for the final time before being substituted late on. The result ensured Hibs finish the campaign in eighth, with attention now turning to the appointment of a new manager, and a significant summer rebuild.

Patrick McPartlin and Liam Bryce were at the Tony Macaroni Arena to provide the instant analysis.

Gray's audition continues

Assuming this was a continuation of David Gray’s audition for the permanent position, there was plenty to like about it. Hibs looked comfortable in the first half in all thirds of the pitch, save for one moment when Michael Nottingham’s header was somehow scooped out by Jojo Wollacott, and only a combination of deflections and misfortune prevented Hibs from taking a lead into the interval.

Myziane Maolida showed his class by eventually firing in the opener, with the aid of a deflection, and Hibs kept pushing for a second. 

READ MORE: David Gray speaks on Hibs job - 'I believe I can do it'

Defensively, Hibs were all at sea when Bruce Anderson levelled. Joel Nouble’s cross to the edge of the six-yard area was as inviting as it was dangerous, and as Jordan Obita and Paul Hanlon both tried to intercept it they collided with Nottingham and Anderson was able to slot it home.

Not for the first time this season it was a bit of a horror show from Hibs but it would be harsh to pin it on Gray, who said that one of the first things he’d changed after taking over from Nick Montgomery was trying to make Hibs harder to beat. 

But he can only work with the tools at his disposal and, being a former defender himself, you’d imagine one of the first things he’ll set about doing if he does get the job, is finally sorting out the Easter Road defence. 

Patrick McPartlin

Myziane's farewell?

There are tens of thousands of weekly wage reasons why Myziane Maolida is unlikely to pull on a Hibs shirt again, so goal number 11 of his loan stint from Hertha Berlin felt like a parting gift from a classy operator. He's only been around since January, but his contributions to an otherwise uninspired team mean there would be few grumbles if he was to pick up a player of the year gong at tonight's end-of-season awards. His touch and finish to give Hibs a second-half lead was typically effortless, and although the shot took a deflection, he deserved that bit of fortune for his close control. Hibs couldn't hold on for the victory, but this was a fitting way for Myziane to sign off. He arrived in Edinburgh with the perception that a hugely promising career had lost its way, but he seems to be a character who has benefitted hugely from simply being given a platform, and being shown a bit of love from club and fans. He'll almost certainly be on the move from Hertha this summer, and it'll be intriguing to see which direction his journey goes in from here. Regardless, he's ensured he'll always be welcome back at Easter Road.

Liam Bryce

Campbell brings drive and energy

Hibs have tried a few options at ten this season; namely Josh Campbell, Emiliano Marcondes, and Dylan Vente at various times but it is Campbell who has looked the best fit. Granted, Vente was shoe-horned into the position by Nick Montgomery when he hadn’t quite abandoned his 442, and Marcondes didn’t ever seem fully fit, but academy graduate Campbell, who has been something of a utility man for Hibs, just seems a natural fit for the position. 

READ MORE: Boyle on what Hibs need from next managerial appointment

He impressed in the 3-0 victory over Motherwell in midweek and picked up where he had left off at the Tony Macaroni Arena, running things in the middle of the park. With Nectar Triantis and Joe Newell anchoring the midfield behind him he had licence to roam and make himself available for his team-mates, and get close to Vente and latterly Adam Le Fondre. His versatility has perhaps been a crutch, with Campbell unable to make one position his own, but there’s a very real possibility that there’s a place for him in this 4231 as the ten. 

He has that boundless energy, eye for goal, stamina, and perhaps most importantly the drive that has been sorely lacking in this Hibs team at times this season. 

Patrick McPartlin

Curtain comes down

And it's been a season Hibs fans will largely want to forget. Luzern was an awful long time ago now, and the optimism that radiated from those two stirring victories now merely a distant memory. There will no further forays into Europe this summer, with Hibs finishing a rather demoralising eighth in what has been far from a vintage standard Premiership this season.  That supporters and players alike will be more than content to see the back of this campaign tells its own story, and it's now into a summer of rebuilding and re-evaluating, the thought of which will fill supporters with a weary sense of deja-vu. There are so many questions to be answered over the coming weeks and months that this final outing felt almost like a box-ticking exercise. The last time Hibs came to this stadium, they ended the day within touching distance of third place, and while a healthy travelling contingent again followed them to West Lothian, there's a sense they won't accept another campaign like this one without serious revolt.

Liam Bryce