“Lack of desire” as Furious David Gray Hits Back at His Side

David Gray was left furious after his side slumped to a 2-1 defeat in Perth at the hands of St Johnstone. Josh Fowler was on target after 17 minutes for the hosts with Nathan Lowe responding just before the half-hour mark but four minutes from the break, Josh Fowler got his second from the penalty spot which was enough to see his side pick up all three points over David Gray’s men. Following a defeat on Derby day on Thursday, Gray was expecting a big reaction from his players but it was the exact opposite as David Gray was quick to criticize his team. The Hibs boss stated: “The biggest thing for me is the manner in which the first half went for us – again,” Gray said. “It was summed up in the way we conceded the two goals. So, a lack of desire to stop somebody advancing past you, gambling in the box, guessing in the box. “Then a needless penalty that we give away. They were poor goals. But the players went to the end and we created a few chances. But I certainly can’t sit here and say we deserved to win the game. Back-to-back defeats is tough to take. “And, understandably so, criticism will be there.” This defeat puts Hibs down in eighth with just six points to their name from a possible 15 with a trip up to the Highlands up next to face an on-form Ross County for a place at the National Stadium in October.

“Personality in second half” pushed Hearts to victory – Braga

Claudio Braga insists belief remains high within the Hearts squad after the Jambos secured a tenth consecutive league victory at Tynecastle on Sunday, capping off a successful week for Wouter Vrancken’s side. The striker converted an 84th-minute penalty before Sabah Kerjota struck a stunning late winner to seal all three points against Dundee. While Braga acknowledged Hearts were below their best in the first half, with Bradley Fink giving the visitors the lead, he praised his side’s character and improved second-half display. “First half we were not ourselves in some ways and then we talked at half-time and we just needed to improve for sure,” he said post-match. “We know what we can do. We already proved that, so I think getting those two goals in the end shows character, but it’s also a sign of relief, of course. “I think we had more personality in the second half and were less afraid to make mistakes. In some moments during the first half we weren’t dropping deep enough to get on the ball and maybe there was no space because of that. “If you don’t move, the space will not be there. In the second half we rotated a lot more and demanded the ball more often, and then the spaces opened. The more we attacked, the more chances we created and, of course, confidence comes from that. I think that’s what changed.” Hearts have faced a demanding schedule both domestically and in Europe at the start of the campaign, and the Portuguese forward admitted the squad are beginning to feel the effects, particularly after their 3-1 derby victory over Hibernian at Easter Road just three days earlier. “I feel everybody’s a little bit tired,” he added. “A lot of games, but I think it’s only for a good reason. It’s because we’re in European competition and we’ve been playing a lot of games. I think we just need to deal with that.” After the heartbreaking conclusion to last season, Hearts underwent significant change during a hectic summer transfer window. A slow start under Wouter Vrancken included difficult European defeats to Sturm Graz and Benfica, as well as an opening-day league defeat at Pittodrie. However, the Tynecastle side are beginning to find their stride. Four consecutive league victories have lifted Hearts to second place in the Premiership, while Friday night’s League Cup quarterfinal offers the opportunity to move one step closer to Hampden. Despite the recent upturn in fortunes, Braga insists confidence within the dressing room has never wavered, especially during Sunday’s win over Dundee. “I think from outside, yes. From inside, I think the belief was always there,” he said. “Of course, it’s a little bit better now because of the results. If you win, the belief grows a little bit more, but the belief was always there. “We just knew we needed to be patient and make fewer mistakes, and I think that’s what we’ve been doing. “We’re showing that we can play good football and exciting football. Of course, the belief grows a little bit and maybe people on the outside believe a little bit more that we can achieve something this year, but as a group we always knew that.”

MJ Kamson Kamara Joins Kilmarnock on Loan

Kilmarnock Football Club are delighted to unveil their latest signing, Kamson Kamara, on a season-long loan from Heart of Midlothian FC. The impressive centre-back attracted the attention of the Scottish Premiership runners-up Hearts after a successful spell playing for Glentoran FC. The 20-year-old then signed for Hearts during the summer before signing his new loan deal at the Ayrshire side. Kamara had played 30 matches for Northern Irish top-six side Glentoran, contributing 4 goals and earning a place in the Northern Irish Football Writers’ Association (NIFWA) Team of the Year. The rising defender was not only nominated for the NIFWA Team of the Year, but was also identified as a strong contender for Young Player of the Year in the same season – receiving a double nomination. Kilmarnock FC manager Neil McCann hopes that bringing Kamara in will strengthen his backline after long-time centre-back Robbie Deas picked up an injury against Dundee United. The defender joins Kilmarnock FC on a contract that remains until January 2027, subject to SFA approval. MJ will gain vital first-team minutes and may be in contention for selection against Aberdeen in the quarter-finals of the Premier Sports Cup.

Hearts 2-1 Dundee: Kerjota Strike Secures Late Victory

Two goals in the final six minutes won Hearts their 10th straight league win in an attritional afternoon at Tynecastle, after being pushed all the way by a dogged Dundee performance. The match began at a frantic pace as Hearts looked to build on their dominant derby victory, creating the game’s first opening when Calvin Miller’s deflected strike drifted wide. Play was brought to a halt from the resulting corner when Dundee’s top goalscorer Joe Westley fell awkwardly in the penalty area. The forward was eventually stretchered off with a suspected fractured cheekbone. Despite the early injury, Dundee took the lead with their first meaningful attack in the 17th minute. Imari Samuels played a slick channel ball that bypassed Oisin McEntee and released Bradley Fink. The striker made no mistake, lofting a right-footed finish over the onrushing Bo Reus and into the top corner to put the Dees ahead. Tomas Magnusson, the sole inclusion from Thursday’s derby win, endured a difficult opening 45 minutes. A lapse in concentration allowed Ethan Hamilton to steal possession and drive toward goal, though his left-footed effort narrowly missed, much to the relief of the Tynecastle crowd. While Hearts had scythed through Hibs with ease earlier in the week, nothing clicked in the opening stages here. Passes lacked crispness, corners were overhit, and attacking moves repeatedly broke down, sparking frustration across three sides of the ground. The hosts kept plugging away against a resolute Dundee defence. Claudio Braga cut infield to arrow a 20-yard strike just past Owen Goodman’s post before a clever pass from McPake set up Magnusson to test the goalkeeper. Nevertheless, Steven Pressley’s tactical setup proved effective, frustrating the home side right up to the break. Wouter Vrancken demanded a response at halftime, and Hearts showed immediate intent in the second half. Magnusson slid a through ball to McPake, whose low drive forced a sharp save from Goodman. Dundee remained dangerous on the counter, however. Summer signing Jack Moorhouse capped off a rapid break by lifting a long-range effort inches over the crossbar. Hearts continued to throw everything forward in search of an equaliser, including an ambitious acrobatic effort from Braga. With Dundee defending deep, Vrancken turned to his bench, introducing the physical presence of JJ Williams. The American attacker quickly forced a save with a header after Goodman had already thwarted a barrage of close-range strikes. Dundee’s afternoon took another blow with ten minutes remaining when the stretcher was called for a second time, as Finlay Robertson went down holding his knee in agony. Hearts kept pressing and were finally handed a lifeline when Christian Borchgrevink’s drilled cross struck Owen Bevan’s arm in the box. Following a lengthy VAR review, referee Chris Graham confirmed the penalty, allowing Braga to step up and bury a clinical right-footed strike into the bottom corner. The equaliser energised Tynecastle with five minutes left on the clock, and the momentum swung further when Zan Besir was shown a straight red card for a reckless challenge on McPake. With seven minutes of stoppage time signalled, the stage was set for a grandstand finish. Braga thought he had snatched the winner in the 95th minute when he met Borchgrevink’s cross with a flying diving header, only to be denied by an extraordinary save from Goodman. The dramatic climax came just sixty seconds later. In the 96th minute, Kerjota reacted fastest to a corner, drilling a precise left-footed strike past Goodman to complete a thrilling comeback victory for Hearts. In the end, it was a deserved victory for the Jambos, who had endured long spells against a rigid Dundee defensive wall to prevail. The victory moved the hosts into second place ahead of their League Cup quarter-final against Stenhousemuir; meanwhile, Dundee stayed in the top six ahead of a home game against Motherwell in two weekends. Hearts: Reus 7 Altena 5 Findlay 6 McEntee 5 McCart 6 Magnusson 4 Mendy 6 Miller 5 Braga 7 McPake 6 Wilson 6 Substitutes: Milne 6 Kerjota 7 Borchgrevink 7 Williams 6 Dundee: Goodman 6 D Wright 6 Astley 7 O Bevan 4 Samuels 6 Finnigan 6 Robertson 6 Hamilton 7 Forrest 7 Westley 1 Fink 8 Substitutes: Wales 6 Moorhouse 4 Besir 1 O’Reilly 4 Bevan 5 Wright 5

Match Preview: Celtic v Aberdeen

Aberdeen make the trip to Glasgow on Wednesday to face the current holders, Celtic at Parkhead. This is a tie which Celtic have had full dominance in, and have done for years. Aberdeen had a tough campaign, with Jimmy Thelin seeing the exit door in January, before Peter Leven took charge until the end of the season, and the Dons now have Stephen Robinson in charge as they look to get back into Europe. For Celtic, they also had a horror start, which saw Rodgers depart very soon into the season, with Martin O’Neill taking charge on a temporary basis before Wilfried Nancy came in, which didn’t go well at all, although he did manage to defeat Aberdeen at Celtic Park. Nancy was quickly sacked, with Martin O’Neill returning to eventually lead Celtic to the title after a dramatic final day, which saw Hearts top of the league going into it, but a 3-1 win for Celtic meant Martin O’Neill’s men secured the title. It hasn’t been an amazing start to their season despite making it into the Premier Sports Cup quarter-finals. In terms of league duty, Aberdeen have picked up just one win in their opening three games, which came all the way back on matchday one, defeating Hearts 2-1 at Pittodrie in a tie which the home team always seem to win. Aberdeen also lost 2-0 at Dens Park to Dundee, as well as, most recently, a 1-0 defeat to Rangers courtesy of a Lawrence Shankland penalty. For Celtic, they are unbeaten in league business so far, as they defeated Steven Pressley’s men 1-0 in Glasgow on flag night, before beating Kilmarnock heavily 5-1 at Rugby Park, with a most recent 2-1 win over Falkirk in Glasgow. Celtic are also in the last eight of the League Cup, after cruising to victory at Tannadice in a 4-0 away win. Martin O’Neill’s side have had a very poor campaign in Europe, however — although they did win 3-0 at home to LASK, you’d think that would be perfect, and it got even better as Callum McGregor put his side four to the good, but it only went downhill from there as Celtic went on to lose 5-1 on aggregate and drop down to the Europa League, where they will face Ferencváros, SL Benfica, Celta Vigo, Beşiktaş, Torreense, Marseille and Union Saint-Gilloise. As mentioned earlier, Celtic have been in control of this tie, with the last time Aberdeen defeated Celtic being in 2025 in the Scottish Cup final, as Aberdeen took the Scottish Cup back up to the Granite City to stop the treble. But in the league, Aberdeen haven’t been able to come away as winners since May 2018, with Andrew Considine striking on the final day of the season to beat Rangers to second place — a game many fans believe Celtic let the Pittodrie side win, to ensure the Ibrox side didn’t get second. Celtic have found the net 17 times in their last 5 league meetings with the Dons, who have only found the target four times in those 5 meetings. Celtic are also in fine form in terms of goals, with 15 scored in their last 5, and former Bodø/Glimt man Kasper Hogh the top goalscorer (3). Aberdeen themselves have netted 8 goals in the past five outings, with Kevin Nisbet Aberdeen’s joint-top goalscorer (1). Aberdeen will welcome back Mats Knoester to their backline, but Brad Lyons remains out for their trip to the East End of Glasgow, and for Celtic, they seem to be without Alistair Johnston and Kasper Hogh, as well as Callum Osmand, who left on crutches after their win over Falkirk.

“Let’s not get carried away” – Kettlewell’s message following emphatic win

Kettlewell insists on his side to “not get carried away” after brilliant start of the season. Ross County are currently 11 games unbeaten after their massive 4-0 win over East Kilbride yesterday evening, as well as a major League Cup Quarter-Final tie coming up in just under two weeks but Kettlewell isn’t get ahead of himself despite the positive start. Kettlewell said: “Let’s not get carried away – is always my message. It’s a really good day for us, it has us in a healthy position in the cup competitions and in the league, but we have to go and do our job again and find that level of consistency.” “We are not wanting to go about broadcasting who we are – we just want to go and deliver on Saturday.” Kettlewell left very happy after their win yesterday and insists it was a very good day for his side after continung their unbeaten run. The Ross County boss added: “We know how East Kilbride want to play – they want to dominate the ball. I felt there were spells before we scored the first goal that we could have capitalised on.” “It’s a good day for us, because I think they are a very good side” Stuart Kettlewell made tactical changes at the break, despite being one-up to keep turning the ball over more as he looked to pull further in front. He added: “We tried to adjust a few bits in the second half to make sure we were turning the ball over more – and we were very clinical when we did that.” “Games are different. I think back to the Montrose game, where if we turned the ball over there were banks of players in front of us to try and break down. We knew when we turned the ball over today, those counter areas were there for us to exploit.  

Match Preview: Ross County vs East Kilbride

Ross County and East Kilbride meet for the first time. Ross County have enjoyed a stellar start to their campaign. The Dingwall outfit managed to finish top of their League Cup group, beating Premiership outfit Dundee on penalties along the way, before beating Championship side Dunfermline Athletic 2-1 away from home in the Last 16, to set up a Last 8 meeting with Hibernian in Dingwall. In terms of the league, County have been flawless, winning all three of their matches, with the most recent win coming away against Airdrieonians, who were also relegated from the Championship last campaign. East Kilbride have had a rapid rise to reach League One. The Kilby have earned back-to-back promotions to reach this division, and based on their start to their League One season, are showing no signs of slowing down. EK have picked up seven points from a possible twelve, which puts them in third, one place and two points behind their opponents on Saturday, albeit having played a game more. Both sides were in Challenge Cup action during the week and both got the job done in a professional manor. Ross County beat Highland League outfit Banks O’ Dee 4-0 in Dingwall, courtesy of an early strike from Jamieson, a brace from Phillips and a goal from Coyle. While East Kilbride beat Lowland League outfit Cowdenbeath 3-1 away from home, courtesy of a brace from McGrattan and a penalty from Elliot. This is a game that promises goals, based on their starts to the season. County have scored thirteen goals in their last five matches, while East Kilbride have found the net twelve times in their last five matches, here’s hoping for more of the same when these sides meet on Saturday for the first time.

Derek McInnes stated he is “mortified” by shock defeat

Rangers European dream came to a halt as the Ibrox side miss out in European football for the first time since 2017. After a 1-0 win in Govan last week, hopes were high of progressing to the UEFA Conference League for the first time, but it just wasn’t to be in the Czech Republic. Rangers failed to cause any real problems last night, and a 73rd-minute strike by Tchanturishvili forced the tie into extra time. Neither side was able to find the net in the extra period, meaning penalties awaited. Rangers were unable to progress, after both James Penrice and Findlay Curtis missed their spot-kicks, to see Jablonec into the league phase draw this afternoon. McInnes said: “First of all, I’m embarrassed with the performance. I think the only people who represented the club well tonight were my staff, the support staff in the preparation. “We do so much right here to get the players ready and in peak condition to go and perform. And the supporters, who to a man were outstanding, getting behind the team despite watching what we all watched. “It wasn’t a good performance at any stretch of the imagination. Then you think you might just get through. “It shouldn’t have come down to two boys, James Penrice and Findlay Curtis, in tears for missing a penalty kick. It shouldn’t have come down to that. “I’m not going to sit here and make any excuses whatsoever. It wasn’t good enough. “I thought the opposition were better than us in most aspects of the game so we got what we deserved. If we’d won it on penalties, we’d have taken it, of course, because of how important that is. But we’d have covered over the cracks, to be honest. “I’m mortified by the performance. I know you can lose games of football, but we should have enough in the building to take care of that tonight. “Yes, there’s been a big turnover of players. Yes, we looked very inexperienced at times. But the responsibility is mine to make sure that we are better than what we served up tonight. And we were miles short, miles short. “I’ll take responsibility for the result, but the responsibility is shared. The players have got to be better than that. We know that. It’s my job to help the players but they’ve got to help themselves as well. “It’s such a low point. I’m embarrassed with the result. I’m gutted for the supporters because they’ve come here. We come over on a charter flight, we stay in a nice hotel, we get all the preparation, and they come here whatever way they can. “They don’t always need to see their team perform brilliantly, but they do deserve to see their team perform way better than that. For that, it’s not good enough.”

Gray Admits European Exit is “going to sting” Following Defeat

David Gray believes his Hibs side deserved more as they were knocked out by slim margins last night. Hibs managed to come away with a goalless draw in the first leg in Belgium, but two late goals in the capital ended the European dream for the Easter Road side. The Hibees went into the game full of confidence, with David Gray describing it as a “cup final.” Hibs fell behind not long before the break, as Vergara put the visitors ahead. Hibs came out looking like a whole new side, as the Hibees scored twice through Kerr and Passlack to lead in the tie, but two late goals by Burgess and a Chaiwa own goal, moments before the midfielder saw red, sealed the pain for the Edinburgh side. “It’s really hard to put it into words, in terms of the feeling in the group,” said Gray. “It hurts, it’s going to sting. It’s hard to be critical of the players over the effort they’ve put in. I think over the two legs we deserved to go through. “It’s tough to take because I don’t think we got what we deserved for our second-half performance. “The second half was exactly what was required because we were behind in the tie – we had energy, belief and the desire. “The tie was decided in two massive moments at the end of the game, we lost a goal from a set-piece then went up the other end and had the best chance of the game (for Callum Wright) to win it 3-2. “Unfortunately, we’ve been done by extremely fine margins. Across the two legs I thought we were worthy of going through. “People don’t want to hear me talk about positives right now but I think in time we’ll see there were. “Physically, we looked good; we didn’t just sit in and defend. I think we demonstrated what we can do tonight, against a team who play in Europe regularly. “If we were outclassed, outplayed or outfought or there was a gulf between the teams I’d say that, but I didn’t feel that was the case.” David Gray wasn’t prepared to criticize Chaiwa despite an own-goal and a late sending off. “Miguel covered every blade of grass but in the last minute in his recovery he put it into his own net,” David Gray stated. “It’s my job, the staff’s job to get around the players. The big thing in these moments is we stick together, the big characters need to pick the other ones up. That’s also my job and my staff’s job.”  

Hibs 2-3 Gent: Coefficient Takes Another Beating as Hibs Crash Out

As Hibs were looking likely to progress, two late goals by the Belgian side ended the Hibees’ European dream. Gent had the first chance after just four minutes — a cross into the box saw Gent find the net, but the goal didn’t stand following a foul on Sallinger. Moments later, Boyle had a chance from inside the box, but a brilliant deflection denied Hibs the opener. A sloppy error in the middle of the park by Chaiwa allowed the Belgian side to get an attack going. Gent were unable to get the ball into the box, which was blocked and out for a corner, but Gent were unable to make anything of it. Twenty-three minutes in, Gent almost had a chance, but multiple players all collided at once, which saw off any potential chance for the visitors. Lowe had a chance for the Hibees on 27 minutes, striking with his weaker foot, but ultimately smashing well over the target, as both sides continued to battle for an opener. Gent shortly had a chance, an attempt from just inside the box, but it was a simple catch for the Hibernian number one. Vergara had a big chance on 36 minutes — a cross into the box found the head of the Gent striker, but the header was straight into the gloves of Sallinger, which was a simple catch for the Hibs number one. The Belgian side went ahead on 39 minutes. A low cross into the box found Vergara, who took a nice touch, spun around with brilliant control, and struck a composed effort into the bottom left-hand corner, as the Hibees trailed in the tie. Hibs moments later had a chance, as Boyle, on the left-hand side, cut onto his right and fired a strike towards goal, but Roef did well to deny the equaliser. As half-time was blown, performance-wise it wasn’t a bad half for Hibs, but it was the Belgian side who took their chance when it came, whereas Hibs hadn’t tested Roef enough. They would look to salvage an equaliser in the second 45. Into the second period, Hibs quickly responded [as written, this sentence isn’t quite clear — it says the shot “was stopped by Boyle, which fooled the keeper,” then says Boyle reclaimed the ball and scored, which reads as though Boyle stopped his own teammate’s shot. You may want to check whether this should say the shot was saved by the keeper, with Boyle reclaiming the rebound]. After a VAR check, the goal was ruled out following a handball in the build-up by Nathan Lowe. Hibs were level on 56 minutes, as a ball was whipped into the back post by Jamie McGrath, where Jason Kerr was lurking and powerfully headed home to give Hibs a deserved equaliser — Kerr’s first goal for the Edinburgh side. A better second-half display by David Gray’s men, as both sides continued to battle for a winner, with both eager to avoid an additional 30 minutes. Passlack fired the Hibees in front with 13 minutes to spare — a brilliant piece of individual play by the former Dortmund man, who found a low, powerful strike from a tight angle into the bottom left-hand corner, sending the Hibs supporters behind the net into mayhem. Burgess levelled the game up late on, following a corner whipped into the box, where the former Ipswich man smashed the ball into the centre of the net to bring the game to 2-2. Gent delivered a massive blow in stoppage time, as Seck made a goal-bound, darting run and slotted it across goal, where Chaiwa turned it into his own net — a big blow for Hibs. It kept going downhill as Chaiwa was shown red very late on, as Gent looked likely to progress and dump Hibs out. Overall, not good enough by Hibs, as boos rang around the ground, Gent progressed, and Hibs’ European tour came to an end and now it’s just Celtic and Hearts playing European League phase football. Hibernian: Sallinger (6), Obita (5), O’Hora (5), Kerr (7), Passlack (7), Mulligan (8), Chaiwa (4), Mayor (7), McGrath(8), Boyle (8), Lowe (6). Substitutes: Suto(6), Wright (6), Megwa (6). KAA Gent: Roef (7), Ngom (7), Burgess (8), van der Heyden (7), Araujo (8), Delorge (8), De Vlieger (7), Volckaert (6), Kadri (7), Sonko (7), Vergara (8). Substitutes: Seck(6), Wilson (7), Cisse (6), Lopes (6), Benes (6).