Hibs emerged from a wet and windy Paisley with all three points after a hard-fought encounter with St Mirren last night.
Jack Ross retained the same starting XI that beat Motherwell on Saturday.
The hosts started well and dominated possession before Hibs opened the scoring against the run of play.
Former Buddie Jason Naismith sent in a dangerous cross to the back post which was met by Christian Doidge and his header deflected off the head of Gary MacKenzie into the net for his fifth goal in three games.
The Saints fought back however and were the better team for the remainder of the first half without creating any clear-cut chances.
Shortly after the restart Hibs goalkeeper Chris Maxwell was booked for blocking a run from Kyle Magennis then Lewis Stevenson joined him in the book for clumsily challenge on Ryan Flynn.
Martin Boyle replaced Florian Kamberi who appeared to be suffering from a back injury as he walked gingerly off the park.
St Mirren had a penalty claim when Sam Foley went down in the box after a nudge in the back from Boyle but referee Alan Newlands waved play on.
Daryl Horgan replaced Joe Newell then another former Saint Stevie Mallan came on for Scott Allan as Hibs tried to get onto the front foot.
Danny Mullen’s long-range struck the post and the ball fell to Jonathan Obika who knocked it past the post.
Hibs wrapped things up in the closing minutes following a counter-attack when MacKenzie brought down Boyle inside the penalty area and Mallan sent the keeper the wrong way with the resultant spot-kick to the delight of the large travelling support.
The visitors could have made it 3-0 when Boyle broke clear but his pass to Doidge was intercepted.
Junior Morias scored a deserved late consolation goal but Hibs emerged with the three points which moved the club to three points behind fifth place Kilmarnock who visit Easter Road on Saturday.
After the game Ross told BBC Scotland: “St Mirren pushed and pushed and we did a lot of things to try to stem that and it was only late on with the introduction of Martin Boyle that we were able to stretch them.
“Winning the penalty was a key moment. This was a huge game for us as it puts us in a decent position to push on.”
St Mirren: Hladky, McGinn, MacKenzie, McLoughlin, Waters, Magennis, Foley, McGinn, Flynn, Durmus, Obika. Subs: McAllister, Mullen, Morias, Cooke, Djorkaeff, MacPherson, Lyness.
Hibs: Maxwell, Naismith, Stevenson, Hanlon, Porteous, Hallberg, Slivka, Newell, Allan, Kamberi, Doidge. Subs: Marciano, Horgan, Boyle, Mallan, James, Jackson, Shaw.
Referee Alan Newlands
Attendance 5,377
John graduated from Telford College in 2010 with an HNC in Practical Journalism and since then he worked for the North Edinburgh News, The Southern Reporter, the Irish News Review and The Edinburgh Reporter. In addition he has been published in the Edinburgh Evening News and the Hibernian FC Programme.
