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Daily Record
Daily Record
Sport
Steven Mair

Shaun Maloney vows to find Hibs answers as he insists St Mirren were 'minimised' in home defeat

Concerned Shaun Maloney understands why Hibs were booed off in their 1-0 home defeat to St Mirren.

But the manager insists his new look side will come good after another league defeat at home to bottom six opposition.

After a solid start with wins against Dundee United and Aberdeen the Easter Road manager is on a mediocre run with extra-time progress in the Scottish Cup over League One Cove Rangers his only victory in 2022.

Connor Ronan's 62nd minute strike did the damage despite the Hibees enjoying most of the play.

And speaking to BBC Sportsound, he said: "It was a game of two very different halves for us. The first half, I thought we were way below the level we showed versus Hearts.

"And then the second half, for the first 25, 30 minutes we created so many opportunities. The difference between the result and the game, and who won and who lost, was down to who was most clinical.

"They had one chance from our mistake and we should have scored three, four or five goals today.

"It's disappointing but we have to move on.

"It gets very frustrating when we don't take chances but I have to give full support to my players, particularly my attacking players.

"At some point they're going to become very clinical and at that point we're going to win games."

Despite their dominance fans voiced their displeasure at Easter Road at full-time.

St Mirren celebrate Connor Ronan's goal (SNS Group)

Maloney admits he's "concerned" but wants to restore the support his Hibs side enjoyed after a 0-0 draw against Hearts in midweek.

He added: "Of course I'm concerned. I understand we don't win games and the fans don't go home happy.

"We drew against Hearts and the connection was there. It's my job to make sure that connection stays and that's by winning games. Today we did more than enough to win the game.

"There were large parts of that second half when we were creating numerous chances.

"There are things I'm more positive about and other things I'm less. Work goes on.

"My mindset doesn't change. We'll work very hard now going to Rangers and we'll have to play a different way. We'll continue to work to minimise the opposition, which we did today, it was our mistake.

Hibs' Christian Doidge was frustrated (SNS Group)

"And it's my job to get the team to create as many chances as we can, and support the players when it comes to those moments.

"I'm sure at some point it's going to turn with the chances we've had in the last three or four games. If we're more clinical it's different."

The loss could allow the Jambos and Motherwell to pull further ahead of Hibs in third and fourth as both teams play champions Rangers and league leaders Celtic respectively on Sunday afternoon.

"I knew there would be bumps in the road," added Maloney, "when you lose at home, it feels like things are less positive when that happens.

"But I know where we're going and what we need. Today we shouldn't have lost, we should have won, three, four, five nil.

"That's up to me - I have to find the answers to this. But I'm hopeful the next time we create that many I'm standing here talking about winning the match."

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