Dundee United 1 Hibs 3

We left it late this evening before extending our unbeaten run to 14 games with a 3-1 victory away at Dundee United.

Our win at the CalForth Construction Arena at Tannadice Park allowed us to leapfrog the Terrors into fourth place in the William Hill Premiership and close the gap on Aberdeen to just one point.

We had to earn the points the hard way by coming from behind after Ross Graham volleyed the hosts ahead early on.

Mykola Kuharevich had us back on level terms before the break, before Dundee United piled the pressure on during the second half.

In-form Sam Dalby thought he had headed his side ahead on 61 minutes before a lengthy VAR review deemed his effort had struck his arm before going in and the goal was chalked off.

Substitute Kieron Bowie then popped up with a late sucker-punch to sicken the home side on the counter-attack before Junior Hoilett added a third goal deep into additional time.

David Gray continued to manage Bowie’s return to full fitness by resting him this evening as Kuharevich came into the starting XI.

The boys wore all-white as we started the match brightly with Martin Boyle latching onto a Josh Campbell lay-off only for his angled drive to be deflected wide by Declan Gallagher.

Yet, despite starting the better of the two teams, we fell behind in the fifth minute when Ross Graham’s volley took a wicked deflection off Jack Iredale to loop over Jordan Smith and into the back of the net.

We refused to let that setback derail our positive start and we were soon back on the attack with Kuharevich drawing a save from Jack Walton with a close-range header.

Seconds later an early cross from Nicky Cadden almost found Boyle at the back post for a tap-in. Unfortunately for us, Graham had read the danger and got back just in time to turn it behind for a corner kick.

We deservedly drew level in the 18^th minute when Nicky Cadden’s corner was floated into the back post and Kuharevich headed past Walton to level.

It was big Myko’s fifth goal of the season and his first since late November, after returning from injury.

After a breathless opening to the match the intensity and pace dropped as the teams began to cancel each other out.

It was around 20 minutes before the next effort on goal from either side when Nicky Cadden’s corner was headed towards goal by Kuharevich and Campbell tried to flick it on but couldn’t find a way through a ruck of bodies on the line.

Sixty seconds later and Ryan Strain’s cross at the other end picked out Dalby, who got in ahead of Warren O’Hora, however he was unable to guide his header on target.

Having started so well in the first half we were guilty of a sluggish start to the second as United pressed forward from the kick off. Inside 15 seconds they were almost in with Allan Campbell nearly going through on goal before Lewis Miller did well to get his body between the player and ball and allow Smith to gather.

United had certainly started on the front foot, they were playing the ball forward quicker and asking questions of our defence.

Then, a huge moment on 61 minutes. Strain’s free kick was misjudged by Smith and Dalby headed it in at the back post.

A lengthy VAR review took place with the officials unable to determine offside due to the number of bodies in the immediate area before it was deemed that Dalby had headed the ball against his arm before scoring and the effort was chalked off.

It was a huge let off for us and we immediately made a series of changes with Jordan Obita, Dwight Gayle, Hoilett and Bowie all introduced for the closing stages.

The changes eventually paid off when three of those substitutes combined to put us head.

In the final minute of regulation time Obita pounced on slack play from the hosts, Gayle then fed Nectar Triantis who sent Bowie through, and he finished with aplomb high into the United net on the angle. It was a brilliant finish from the Hibs striker - sending the 2,000 strong travelling fans in the away end wild.

That led to a nervy finale and in the ninth minute of added time the home side were awarded a free kick on the edge of our box; Strain’s effort was well place and Smith got across to save before Iredale hooked it clear.

We then managed to work the ball forward with Gayle hooking the ball round the corner for Hoilett to race clean through and slot past Walton.

He didn’t celebrate initially due to offside being given, however, another VAR review showed he had timed his run to perfection and the goal was given. 

That was the final action of the night with the referee sounding his whistle as the Hibs players ran over in celebration to the travelling support. 

The result extends our unbeaten run to 14 matches and move us up to fourth in the William Hill Premiership table, one point behind Aberdeen in third place.