Reedijk loses Hibernian debut as Bennie seals Dundee United win

Marink Reedijk's first match as Hibernian manager ended in a 1-0 defeat at Dundee United, with Daniel Bennie's first-half goal settling the Premiership contest at Tannadice. BBC Scotland reported that Hibs finished the game with 10 men after Jacob Devaney was sent off, leaving the new head coach to address shortcomings in both attack and defence.

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Bennie scored in the 35th minute, and Hibernian were unable to find an equaliser. Devaney, the midfielder on loan from Manchester United, was dismissed in the closing stages for denying Neil Farrugia a goalscoring opportunity. The defeat left Hibs tenth in the table and marked the fourth time this season that they had failed to score.

Reedijk arrived in Scotland after leading SK Beveren to an unbeaten title-winning campaign in Belgium's second division last season. For his Hibernian debut, he selected a back four, a change from the three-man defence favoured by predecessor David Gray. There were encouraging passages early on, including a move involving Callum Wright that nearly produced an opening goal for Josh Mulligan, but Hibs could not convert those moments into a breakthrough.

New signing Rabbi Matondo gave the visitors another attacking option during the second half. Dundee United, however, continued to create opportunities against them, finishing with 17 shots, including 10 from inside the Hibernian penalty area. BBC Sport's report recorded the hosts' expected-goals figure at 1.68, alongside the single goal that ultimately decided the match.

Speaking to BBC Scotland afterwards, Reedijk identified a lack of precision and decisive play around the final third as central problems. He said careless losses of possession had allowed United to counter-attack and brought doubt into his team. Although he felt Hibs had started well and produced some opportunities, he also pointed to defensive details surrounding the goal as things that needed to improve.

Reedijk's disappointment extended to the travelling supporters. He told BBC Scotland that 2,500 fans had made the journey from Edinburgh and that the team had not delivered the performance he had hoped to give them. His opening match therefore ended with a narrow defeat, a sending-off and another scoreless outing as he began implementing changes at Hibernian.