David Gray praised Hibernian for their resilience as they kept the back door shut to bounce back from recent setbacks and notch their first William Hill Premiership win of the season.
The Easter Road side were frustrated by the concession of late equalisers in their previous two matches against Dundee and Kilmarnock.
But they saw out their 2-0 victory over St Johnstone with a good degree of control and composure after goals from Mykola Kuharevich and substitute Martin Boyle in each half.
“It’s great to finally get that three points and more importantly a clean sheet as well,” said Gray, savouring his first league win since being appointed permanent Hibs boss in the summer.
“I’m delighted with the manner in which we’ve done it as well. It’s not as if we just stumbled across the line. We’d lost late goals in the last two games previously but I thought we were really worthy of the clean sheet.
“Defensively solid, good decision-making from goalkeeper right to the front, pressing from the front. I thought we were really good and it’s something that we fully deserve for the amount of effort we put in.”
Gray was relieved to see Kuharevich make the breakthrough in first-half stoppage time.
“It was a huge goal for the players and for the stadium in general,” he said. “I think we were a wee bit edgy, a wee bit lethargic in certain situations.
“We could have showed a little bit more composure on the ball but after the goal went in, we came out second half and the boys showed a lot more quality and composure and just looked a bit freer and looser, which was great to see.”
Saints boss Craig Levein felt the timing of Hibs’ opener had a huge effect as he bemoaned his side’s limp second-half display before Benjamin Kimpioka was sent off in the closing stages for a reckless challenge on Hibernian’s Jordan Obita.
“The first half was really good,” he said. “We restricted Hibs to very little and I think the biggest factor in the game was the goal on the stroke of half-time.
“They got a lift from that and after all the hard work that we’d put in, the team talk is completely different. If we’d gone in 0-0 at half-time it’s a different story. But that one goal makes a hell of a difference.”
Levein was frustrated that Saints failed to muster any response in the second half as they slumped to a fourth straight defeat.
“It’s very difficult for me to explain that,” he said. “I don’t understand how we can go from that level of performance (in the first half) to dropping off completely.”
