After a 2-0 victory at Easter Road, Hibernian must decide which striker will carry the goal threat to Celtic Park: loan striker Dane Scarlett, emerging Owen Elding, substitute Ante Suto or experienced Martin Boyle
Hibernian’s 2-0 win over St Mirren at Easter Road offered more than three points — it doubled as a live tactical rehearsal ahead of a tricky trip to Celtic Park.
The goals were straightforward: Owen elding nodded home from a rehearsed corner in the first half, and substitute Ante Suto drilled in a low cross after coming off the bench.
Dane Scarlett, on loan from Tottenham Hotspur, started as the central striker, giving Hibs a different physical profile up front and underlining the options available to manager Lee Johnson as he weighs up his selection for the Glasgow showdown.
How the goals came about
Hibs showed two distinct attacking patterns.
The opener was the product of set-piece work — Dan Barlaser’s corner and a timed run from Elding that pulled a centre-back out of position and created the space for a near-post header. The second goal arrived from quick wing play: Nicky Cadden’s low cross met Suto’s late run and the substitute finished clinically after the keeper failed to gather.
Those two methods — aerial threat from dead balls and incisive low deliveries from wide areas — were not one-offs. They were clearly practised options, deployed at different moments to stretch St Mirren’s defence and keep opponents guessing.
What the selection choices revealed
Starting Scarlett signalled Hibs’ willingness to use a more direct option in possession and in transition. He combined target-man traits with bursts of pace, charging into channels and drawing markers that created pockets for midfield runners. When the No.9 became isolated the manager reacted: the halftime and mid-game substitutions were designed to test alternative attacking shapes, with Suto introduced to inject pace and Boyle and Youan available as creative or direct options off the bench.
That bench management paid immediate dividends. Suto’s introduction — and the change in tempo it brought — quickly led to a goal, reinforcing the idea that the substitutes are being prepared as tactical weapons rather than merely fresh legs.
Sallinger’s contribution and balance across phases
Raphael Sallinger’s goalkeeping performance also deserves mention. Several key saves stemmed the flow of St Mirren counters and helped Hibernian preserve a clean sheet. The combination of a physically capable forward to occupy centre-backs and a keeper making timely interventions gave Hibs the platform to keep pressing without fear of quick retribution.
Tactical takeaways going into Celtic Park
The big question now is which blend of those attacking options will travel to Parkhead. Hibernian have five clear choices: Scarlett, Elding, Suto, Martin Boyle and Stanislas Youan — each bringing different strengths.
- – Scarlett: offers pace, direct running and transitional threat.
- Elding: provides aerial presence and hold-up play for set-piece emphasis.
- Suto: a mobile, late-running forward who thrives on timing and quick finishes.
- Boyle: experienced, creative and a threat from wide areas and set pieces.
- Youan: a dynamic, direct substitute capable of unsettling tired defenders.
Against Celtic’s high line and press, the trade-offs are obvious. A physical target man helps win long balls and create set-piece opportunities but risks being isolated if service dries up. A mobile forward like Scarlett or Suto can exploit space behind defenders and turn counters into immediate danger, yet that relies on sustained transitional control from midfield. Using impact subs — Boyle or Youan — later in the match can change tempo, but only if the team retains possession and wins the midfield battle early on.
What to expect from the coaching staff
Coaches appear to be treating rotation and substitution timing as an extension of their tactical plan. Training has rehearsed both aerial routines and near-post combinations; analytics teams are monitoring sprint counts, pressing efficiency and set-piece conversion to guide decisions. The model emerging is situational rather than dogmatic: start with a shape that suits the opponent and be ready to alter it inside the first 20–30 minutes if the plan fails.
The goals were straightforward: Owen Elding nodded home from a rehearsed corner in the first half, and substitute Ante Suto drilled in a low cross after coming off the bench. Dane Scarlett, on loan from Tottenham Hotspur, started as the central striker, giving Hibs a different physical profile up front and underlining the options available to manager Lee Johnson as he weighs up his selection for the Glasgow showdown.0
