Jacob Morrell celebratesImage source, SNS

At a glance

  • Murrell brace earns Falkirk first top-flight win at Easter Road in over 20 years

  • Elding pulled goal back but Reedijk's side slip to bottom of division

  • Hibs have now lost seven home league games in succession

Watch Hibernian v Falkirk highlights

17/10/26

ByKheredine Idessane
BBC Sport Scotland

Hibernian have slipped to the bottom of the Scottish Premiership after a sixth home league defeat in seven, as Falkirk ruined Marink Reedijk's home debut as manager with their first top flight win at Easter Road in over 20 years.

A superb first-half double from American striker Jacob Murrell had Falkirk comfortably ahead before Owen Elding brought Hibs back into contention. However, they could not find a leveller.

It means the Leith side have failed to win any of their last half a dozen matches in the league and have now conceded in their last 15 consecutive top flight games, matching their unenviable run from 2019.

The quality of Murrell's strikes was fabulous, but there was a great deal of self-inflicted damage from a Hibs point of view. Slack concession of possession in midfield allowed Ryan Strain to feed Murrell and the former DC United frontman cracked in a fabulous shot from the edge of the area.

The purity of the strike was matched by his second, despatched high into the roof of the net from an acute angle, after Thibault Klidje's needless back-heel near his own corner flag went straight to Ethan Ross to provide the assist for Murrell.

Graphic

Hibs had a goal back immediately when Elding appeared to divert the ball in with either his chest or his shoulder from Felix Passlack's cross. A VAR check for hand-ball followed but the goal was allowed to stand.

The next intervention from the video assistant referee went against Hibs, who had been awarded a penalty when Klidje went down under Lewis Neilson's challenge.

The decision was changed to a free-kick to Hibs just outside the area, an award which was blasted wide by Martin Boyle, who also wasted a glorious chance when his close range shot was too close to Scott Bain.

Falkirk were happy to sit on their lead in the second half as a fairly toothless Hibs failed to seriously them, with the exception of a fine shot by substitiute Jamie McGrath which Bain brilliantly tipped round a post.

It means Falkirk move up to ninth with their first win of any kind in Leith since 2014.

Life looks altogether bleaker for Hibs, however, with this damaging defeat leaving them bottom and without a point from Reedijk's first two games in charge.

Hibs analysis: Toothless hosts struggle again

Hibs need a goalscorer, it's pretty much that simple.

Some of their attacking patterns of play were pretty on the eye but all too often it's that clinical touch in front of goal that lets them down.

They're also far too prone to shooting themselves in the foot. You could argue that both Falkirk goals don't happen if the home side are tidier in possession. Needless errors are being punished at the moment, however, which is why Hibs are looking up at the entire division as Halloween approaches.

Not where new boss Reedijk wants to be - and he may now be coming to terms with the size of the job he's inherited.

He was left in no doubt about that by the home fans both at half-time and the end of the match. They're demanding better and quickly with a huge League Cup semi-final against arch-rivals Hearts looming in a couple of weeks.

Falkirk analysis: Visitors worthy winners

Falkirk played some nice football, took their chances well and defended stoutly when they had to. Which all adds up to a thoroughly merited three points.

Manager John McGlynn had been lamenting the lack of a clinical edge in previous matches, which had turned winning positions into draws or defeats. There was more steel about his side here, showing guts and appetite to go along with their quality.

They also had a striker at the top of his game. Murrell had two big chances and scored two big goals. He's due a big pat on the back.

It could have been even better for Falkirk, who had another effort in the first-half ruled out for offside against Finley Barbrook. A very good day at the office.

What they said

Figure caption,

Reedijk on 'step forward' for Hibs despite defeat

Hibernian manager Marink Reedijk: "The summary is individual mistakes. They scored two goals from our individual mistakes.

"We scored a good goal ourselves and had moments to score again but didn't. The game changes if you do so because then Easter Road is behind us but this didn't happen."

"What I have seen today is a step forward compared to Dundee [United]. That sounds strange but that is really what I think. We took control of the whole match and had some good opportunities but then we have to score these."

Falkirk manager John McGlynn: "I'm delighted. So proud of the players. They put in a shift and we had to do exactly that.

"We had to work our socks off. Hibs were well organised, they had a lot of the ball to be fair which meant we had to work so hard without the ball.

"We needed Scott Bain to make a couple of saves, which he did. I'm so proud of the effort and the commitment. So it will be a happy Saturday night."

Player of the match

Number: 24 J. Murrell
Average rating 8.71
Number: 7 O. Elding
Average Rating: 3.84
Number: 25 F. Passlack
Average Rating: 3.68
Number: 17 J. McGrath
Average Rating: 3.53
Number: 3 A. Mayor
Average Rating: 3.30
Number: 10 M. Boyle
Average Rating: 3.25
Number: 5 M. Ivezić
Average Rating: 3.18
Number: 8 J. Mulligan
Average Rating: 3.16
Number: 6 J. Kerr
Average Rating: 3.14
Number: 18 T. Klidje
Average Rating: 3.13
Number: 39 R. Matondo
Average Rating: 3.09
Number: 1 R. Sallinger
Average Rating: 2.92
Number: 14 M. Chaiwa
Average Rating: 2.91
Number: 19 N. Cadden
Average Rating: 2.84
Number: 47 A. Abdulai
Average Rating: 2.63
Number: 22 A. Šuto
Average Rating: 2.47

After the opportunity to rate players has closed, the score displayed represents the average from all the submissions by BBC Sport users.

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