Motherwell beat Hibernian 2-1 at Easter Road on August 2, giving new manager Alfred Johansson a winning start in his first Scottish Premiership match in charge. Ibrahim Said scored the decisive goal in the 85th minute after Lukas Fadinger and Martin Boyle had traded penalties earlier in the game.
Johansson took over from Jens Berthel Askou, whose final game in charge was a win at Easter Road last season that clinched fourth place for Motherwell. The Swedish coach's side had already beaten Faroese team HB in the UEFA Conference League before this Premiership win, and Motherwell now travel into the first leg of their next European qualifier against HJK Helsinki on Thursday.
For Hibernian manager David Gray, the defeat was a painful setback as he tries to answer early-season doubts among sections of the Easter Road support. Hibs had 19 shots at goal to Motherwell's nine and nearly twice as many touches in the opposition penalty box, but were wasteful when it mattered.
Fadinger opens the scoring from the spot
Motherwell largely stuck to the passing-based approach that defined Askou's tenure, building from the back and moving the ball through the thirds with one and two-touch play. That approach carried risk early on, and Hibs found joy in wide areas through wing-backs Felix Passlack and Adam Mayor.
Oscar Priestman gave away possession cheaply to hand Hibs their first chance, with Owen Elding setting up Nathan Lowe, who dragged his shot wide of Alex Paulsen's post. Passlack later had a shot deflected wide as Hibs continued to have the better of the opening exchanges.
Motherwell's patience paid off five minutes before halftime. Said, who consistently drove his team forward with the ball, was central to a slick move down the right that ended with the ball worked to Priestman inside the box. Josh Mulligan's despairing challenge on Priestman left referee Steven McLean no choice but to award a penalty, and Fadinger sent Raphael Sallinger the wrong way to make it three goals in three games this season for the striker, who had also scored in both legs of Motherwell's Conference League qualifier against HB.
Regan Charles-Cook nearly doubled Motherwell's lead moments later, curling a shot narrowly wide.
Hibs level through Boyle penalty
Hibs were given a let-off at the start of the second half when Jason Kerr failed to deal with a through ball, but Charles-Cook hesitated in a one-on-one with Sallinger and saw his effort saved. Lowe then forced a good save from Paulsen with a shot on the turn.
The momentum shift produced an equaliser in the 56th minute. Priestman, who had won the first penalty, conceded one himself by tripping Boyle in almost the same part of the box. Boyle took the spot kick himself and beat Paulsen with a confident low finish.
Motherwell looked rattled as Hibs pushed for a second. Paulsen made a full-stretch save to deny a long-range effort from Elding, who then saw another shot cleared off the line by Martin Moormann. Lowe missed a simple close-range chance after being picked out by Elding, and later had another shot that beat Paulsen blocked on the line, again by Moormann.
Said seals the win late on
Hibs had overcommitted players forward when they lost possession, and Motherwell punished them with a swift one-touch counterattack. Substitute Alex Lowry, making his Motherwell debut, picked out Dylan Williams, whose cutback from the left found Said unmarked to finish calmly past Sallinger for the winner.
The final whistle brought jeers from the home supporters. Hibs face North Macedonian side Shkendija at Easter Road in the first leg of their Conference League qualifier on Thursday, before a trip to face Rangers at Ibrox the following Sunday.
Hibernian lined up in a 3-4-3 with Sallinger in goal, a back three of O'Hora, Kerr and Obita, and Passlack, Mulligan, Chaiwa and Mayor across midfield, with Elding, Lowe and Boyle up front. Mulligan was booked. Motherwell played a 4-4-2 with Paulsen in goal, Sparrow, Girdwood-Reich, Moormann and Williams in defence, Vogt, Priestman, Fadinger and Longelo in midfield, and Said and Charles-Cook leading the attack. Priestman, Fadinger and Sparrow were all booked. Referee Steven McLean took charge in front of a crowd of 17,440.
