Hibernian

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Nottingham Forest and Leeds United have made initial enquiries for Hibernian midfielder Josh Mulligan as they consider a January move for the 23-year-old. (Daily Mail), external

Rangers may yet have Nasser Djiga available to face Hibs on Monday, despite the centre-half being called up by Burkina Faso for the Africa Cup of Nations. (Herald - subscription required), external

Raith Rovers' former Hibs defender defender Paul Hanlon, 35, says his brief spell as interim boss has only strengthened his desire to move into coaching later in his career. (Courier - subscription required), external

Read Wednesday's Scottish gossip

Matty Fairnie
Fan writer

It was great to see Hibs get back to winning ways, especially as the victory came courtesy of another two goals for World Cup hopeful Kieron Bowie.

Only three players have scored more Premiership goals than Bowie this season and while his first against Falkirk was a thing of beauty, it was his second that gave me the most satisfaction as it was a real poacher's finish.

Bowie needs to find himself in between the goals for that type of goal more often, sniffing out these opportunities will go a long way to booking himself a place in Steve Clarke's squad come the summer.

Martin Boyle set Hibs on their way to victory but it was disappointing to see Sportscene pundit Richard Foster having a go at the forward for winning a penalty.

For an incident that was immediately spotted by the referee and verified by VAR, the statement that Boyle would have gone down anyway without contact was outrageous, and really unfair on the player.

It was a clear penalty - the conversation should have been about how the Falkirk defender avoided a red card as there was no genuine attempt to play the ball, rather than a hypothetical dive from Boyle.

Finally, with Aberdeen chairman Dave Cormack calling for a time limit on VAR interventions, it's far more important to get correct decisions than quick ones. Falkirk scored an offside goal on Saturday, VAR corrected the on-field decision but it took longer than 60 seconds to come to the conclusion.

Is Cormack seriously suggesting that the better outcome there would have been to let the goal stand?

VAR needs to improve, of that there's no doubt, but this rush to ignore the times it corrects mistakes in favour of dwelling on the ones it gets wrong is tantamount to throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

It's made a huge difference in the number of correct calls in the game, and we should focus more on improving the in-stadium experience for fans than limiting VAR's effectiveness with arbitrary time limits.

You can find Matty Fairnie at Longbangers podcast, external

Hibernian midfielder Josh Mulligan has revealed how Scotland head coach Steve Clarke challenged him to "step up" into a new leadership role at Easter Road as he looks to win a place in the squad for next summer's World Cup. (Edinburgh Evening News), external

Scotland's top clubs are fearing a six-figure loss in their academy budgets after the Scottish FA indicated that annual payments via Club Academy Scotland could be stopped. (Daily Record), external

Read Tuesday's Scottish Gossip in full.

Martin Boyle won Hibernian's sixth penalty of the Scottish Premiership season - more than any other team - in their 3-0 win at home to Falkirk on Saturday.

The Australia winger took it himself to open the scoring, but former Aberdeen and Rangers full-back Richard Foster thinks Falkirk's Filip Lissah was unfortunate to concede the spot kick after 36 minutes.

"I think Martin Boyle is quite cute here and quite clever and I think he initiates the contact and I don't think there's much the defender can do," Foster said on BBC Scotland's Sportscene.

"It is a brilliant pass from Josh Mulligan, a nice weight, and, if you watch Boyle, he runs across the defender and, if there is any contact, it is absolutely minimal.

"And, if there is any contact, he initiates it. I think they were lucky to get that."

Kieron Bowie scored his sixth and seventh goals of the season in Hibs' 3-0 win over Falkirk on Saturday.

He curled past the despairing dive of Scott Bain for the opening goal against the Bairns before some clever movement and a tidy finish put the icing on the cake at Easter Road.

Sportscene pundit Richard Foster backed the 23-year-old striker to make Scotland's World Cup squad next summer.

"This is an outrageous finish," he said of Bowie's first goal of the game. "If anything you think he needs to take another touch to get it out of his feet, but with zero backlift he guides it into the corner.

"For me, he's got to be on the plane. He gives us something a bit different, something we don't have - a bit of a maverick."

Jonathan Sutherland
Sportscene presenter

Hibernian were excellent as they beat Falkirk on Saturday and have two players in my team of the week.

Josh Mulligan - Mr Versatile - slots in at right-back. He brings so much quality and has to be a contender for Scotland World Cup consideration.

Up front, Kieron Bowie is capable of conjuring the extraordinary. His first goal was sublime, and his second goal showed he has a real striker's instinct. Surely has to be on the plane to North America come the summer.

Former Coleraine manager Dean Shiels - once a player with Hibernian, Kilmarnock and Rangers - is in the running for the Greenock Morton manager's job. (Daily Record)

Read the rest of Monday's gossip.

Watch highlights of Hibernian's 3-0 win against Falkirk in the Scottish Premiership.

Brian McLauchlin
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Kieron Bowie knows it will be "tough" to earn a spot in Scotland's World Cup squad next summer, but is determined to "boost my chances" by coming up trumps for Hibernian.

Bowie, 23, scored twice for David Gray's side in their 3-0 win over Falkirk at Easter Road to take his tally to seven for the season.

His form since arriving in Edinburgh earned him an international call-up earlier this year, and he made his debut for Steve Clarke's side in the June friendly against Liechtenstein.

"Obviously, there's a lot of good players in Scotland, and it's a very good squad, so it's tough to get in it," Bowie, who picked his second cap in the World Cup qualifier in Hungary against Belarus, told BBC Scotland.

"Everyone's going to be trying their luck and trying to do as best as they can to impress.

"You have Che Adams, Lyndon Dykes, all of them. Lawrence Shankland, obviously, on the other side of Edinburgh.

"So it's obviously a tough group of strikers. Hopefully we can do well on the pitch and that'll boost my chances."

Head coach Gray, who acknowledged Bowie "hasn't always been an out-and-out centre-forward", insisted there is "a lot more to come" from the forward.

"He keeps himself to himself, he's a humble boy that keeps working hard," Gray added.

"It's great when you score two goals, everybody speaks about you - but the one thing I would quickly remind Kieron, and I don't really need to do it, is just to keep working hard, keep improving, because there's a lot more to come."

We asked for your views on Hibernian's 3-0 win against Falkirk.

Here's what some of you said:

George: Good performance, although, work rate let us down the second half. Substitutions made a huge difference later on, with Josh Campbell excelling with his pace and energy. Goalkeeper again looks solid, with one outstanding save in the second half. Kieron Bowie taking his goals well, especially the second.

Neil: That's the performance and effort we want to see every game. Every player was committed, positive and what a real professional performance. Josh got man of the match, but there were many candidates, not least Jamie McGrath who was outstanding.

Sandy: Masterclass in tactical know how by David Gray! A truly excellent performance. Will need to get the American visa's ready for Kieran and the others fast on this form.

John: First half excellent, second half did not have the same intensity. Nonetheless some good performances especially Josh Mulligan. Good result and good team performance.

Kenny: Mulligan just gets better and better. Bowie's first goal was fantastic. If we can keep this kind of form in the league we won't be far away at the end of the season. Consistency is the secret and that's all the Hibs fans are hoping for. Great performance.

Laurence: A very good first half but a slow start after the break was uncomfortable to watch, the third goal was needed to kill off a rejuvenated Falkirk. We need to force ourselves more on the opposition when we are on top. We'll lose a few players for the African Cup of Nations so the next month could be pivotal on how the rest of our season plays out. Hopefully the injuries clear up soon and a full strength squad can see us through on towards a strong 2026.

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Hibernian head coach David Gray: "Really positive. Everything I asked the players to do, I saw. They were on the front foot, real dominant performance first half.

"Second half, credit to Falkirk, they had a real go and were more direct at times. We got the third goal at a good time.

"We will play better than we did in the second half, but at the same time they showed resilience, kept a clean sheet and we've given ourselves a good platform to build on.

"I don't like singling players out, but Josh [Mulligan] set the tone. His performance was excellent, with and without the ball. His desire to run forward and play with that intensity, and he deserved the man of the match.

"Goals give players confidence and I'm delighted with Kieron [Bowie]'s second goal. He looks to come out the box too much, and there's more to come from him. I'm delighted for him, it'll do his confidence the world of good."

Hibernian moved to fourth in the Scottish Premiership for now and shrugged top-six chasers Falkirk aside in a comfortable win at Easter Road.

Read the full match report here.

Have your say here.

Charlton Athletic could seek an alternate plan for Zach Mitchell in January since the on-loan defender has yet to feature for Hibernian. (Edinburgh Evening News), external

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Grant Hanley returns from suspension but Nicky Cadden drops out for Hibs with a calf injury while Junior Hoilett and Jordan Obita (hamstring) are doubts.

Thibault Klidje will be back in training next week. Rudi Molotnikov (ankle) remains out.

Falkirk have a doubt over Keelan Adams (groin) while Coll Donaldson and Aidan Nesbitt are building up their fitness after long-term absences.

Gary Oliver (hamstring), Ross MacIver (ankle), Lewis Neilson (ankle) and Tom Lang (foot) remain on the sidelines.

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Hibs head coach David Gray has been accentuating the positives as his side look to bounce back from consecutive defeats.

Setbacks against Motherwell and Celtic have seen Hibs suffer back-to-back defeats for the first time in 13 months.

But they have had a free week to prepare for Saturday's visit of Falkirk while their opponents drew with Motherwell in midweek.

Gray told Hibs TV: "It's been a positive week in terms of what I have seen from the players on the grass.

"The start of the week was frustrating when you go back over the game and reflect on what we did.

"But we try not to be too downbeat after a defeat, which is really difficult to do, because we can never accept losing games and it doesn't hurt any less when you play well and lose.

"But there was a lot of positives when I think back to what I asked the players to do and what I saw, especially at the start of the game.

"We had that two-minute period and up to half-time we weren't as good as we were.

"So I was able to show the players that and now we quickly move on to the challenge of playing a team who are directly level with us on points and it's an opportunity to put ourselves three points in front of them."

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The highs of last season's surge to a third-place finish are a fading memory for Hibs fans amid this term's up-and-down form.

The Easter Road club have five wins from their 15 Premiership games and occupy fifth place before Saturday's visit of Falkirk.

Hibs legend Joelle Murray, the defender turned coach, told the BBC's Scottish Football Podcast: "I think the inconsistency in performances [is why fans are unhappy].

"Last season, the second half of last season in particular, we had a fantastic run of form and results and I think the expectation was that we would pick up from there and really use that as a springboard into this season, especially off the back of the retention of players and the new signings.

"Whether it be injuries, illness or just a genuine dip in form, we've not really had the consistency that we showed towards the tail-end of last season so I think that's why the fans are frustrated.

"However, when you do look at the table, sitting on 21 points, we're fifth, but a few points takes you right up there.

"It's a difficult one because it's a results-driven business. We of course want to play nice football, but we are still in and among the top end of the table."

Hibernian have submitted planning permission for upgrades to their Ormiston training base, which is struggling to accommodate all the senior and academy teams using the facility. (Hibs Observer - subscription required), external

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• No side have had more penalties in the Scottish Premiership this season than Hibs (five), with the Easter Road team scoring four of their spot-kicks – just one fewer than they did in the whole of last season's competition (five).

• Hibs are unbeaten in 18 top-flight home games against newly-promoted opponents (W8 D10) since a 1-0 defeat to Ross County in December 2012 under Pat Fenlon.

• Falkirk are winless in 11 top-flight meetings with Hibs (D5 L6) since a 2-1 victory in December 2006 under John Hughes.

• Hibs have lost their past two league games – as many as their previous 15 beforehand (W5 D8) – while they last lost three in a row in October 2024. Hibs could also lose back-to-back home league games for the first time since May 2024.

• Falkirk have kept a clean sheet in three successive league games, last doing so four times running in the Premiership in March 2008. Their last two, though, have been goalless. The last side to play out three consecutive 0-0 draws in the top flight were Hibs in March 2022.

Aberdeen manager Jimmy Thelin has confirmed talks with midfielder Dante Polvara regarding a new contract are ongoing, with the 25-year-old out of contract in the summer and on Hibernian's radar. (Press & Journal), external

Read Wednesday's Scottish Gossip in full.

Matty Fairnie
Fan writer

It's been a tough week for Hibs.

Two games where we've conceded in quick succession and gone on to lose has really dampened what was left of the early-season optimism, particularly the manner of the goals.

Last season's horror start was characterised by self-inflicted wounds, and we're seeing the same bad habits creeping back into our play.

Whether it's defensive lapses at key moments, or missing sitters, the result has been no points from six in a week where two victories could have taken us into second place.

It hasn't worked at either end of the pitch in the past two games and it definitely feels like there's something lacking in this Hibs side at the moment. Last season's turnaround was delivered with swagger and confidence, sparked by the 3-3 draw with Aberdeen.

Maybe David Gray needs another result snatched from the jaws of defeat to give his side the lift that's needed to make sure the season doesn't turn into a mid-table battle with the other top-six hopefuls.

Gray definitely needs and deserves time to find the answers, though – we saw what he is capable of last season and glimpsed it in our early European campaign, so I'm hopeful the club shut out the noise and back him to strengthen the squad in January.

Finally, best wishes to the BBC's Kenny Macintyre on his recovery from prostate cancer. It's a measure of Kenny that he would use his platform to raise awareness of the importance of regular screening, and I hope he has a speedy recovery.

You can find Matty Fairnie at Longbangers podcast, external

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Hibernian defender Rocky Bushiri has been named in DR Congo's squad for the Africa Cup of Nations.

Bushiri, 26, joins Celtic winger Michel-Ange Balikwisha, 24, in Sebastien Desabre's squad.

DR Congo will play Benin (23 December), Senegal (27 December) and Botswana (30 December) in Group D.

Bushiri has been capped five times and Balikwisha made his DR Congo debut in the play-off victory over Nigeria last month after switching allegiance from Belgium.

We asked for your views on Hibs' 2-1 defeat to Celtic yesterday.

Here's what some of you had to say:

Neil: No need to overanalyse this one. A better performance than against Motherwell, but we gifted Celtic two goals and never took our chances, therefore we didn't deserve to win the game.

Bill: Same old shortcomings, keeper and Rocky Bushiri caught out for first, Bushiri jogging back at second. Once again formation not working, Chris Cadden and Jordan Obita can't defend. Kieron Bowie and Martin Boyle having to chase long balls, not much service. Nothing on bench.

Mark: Hibs played well for long periods and dominated for most of it. Ninety seconds of lapsed concentration cost us the points. If we continue to play like that, we'll win more than we lose.

Ross: Concerned with some of the performances against the bigger clubs so far this season. Far too passive in games vs the old firm and I disagree with David Gray's assessment. We never looked like getting back into the game. We are becoming a little too predictable in our tactics.

Sandy: Hibs are in need of a 'statement' win, and it was not to be today. Celtic were not the better team, as much as we shot ourselves in the foot with defensive errors yet again!

Scott: Started and finished well but in-between Celtic mostly controlled the game. Finishing was poor as was the defending for the two Celtic goals. Gray simply must do better with this squad.

Michael: Celtic were handed the first goal but we did better in the second half but a point a piece would have been fair!

Grant: I think we shouldn't be playing out from the back against a quality side like Celtic, tactics were wrong again. When we changed the shape second half, and went a bit more direct we definitely had them on the ropes.