JIMMY CALDERWOOD, the Aberdeen manager, described this match beforehand as being between “two sides hurting”, but by its conclusion it was his team alone in need of pain relief. Aberdeen’s home league record is now one point out of a possible 15 after a fourth Pittodrie reverse of the season yesterday. The debate will continue as to whether Calderwood is still the right man going forward as Hibernian became the latest club to plunder amid the Aberdeen blunders.

There were murmurs of discontent as early as midway through the opening half, though it was difficult to ascertain whether the rancour which intensified late on was being aimed at the manager, the players, the board or, more likely, all three. The game’s decisive moment came in the 78th minute. After Dean Shiels, the Hibs substitute, had played in Colin Nish, his dinked finish was saved by Jamie Langfield. The follow-up was drilled goalwards by Derek Riordan and might have gone in even before it was flicked on by Steven Fletcher. It was definitely going in after that, which is why Charlie Mulgrew had to be red-carded for handling on the line. The only complaint was whether Fletcher was offside when he made the connection. The home crowd tried to put him off, but for all that Riordan can succumb to off-field distractions, as Edinburgh publicans would concur, there is no disputing his concentration in front of goal and his conversion was typically calm.

“That’s a game we should never have lost,” said Calderwood. “We dominated it, but that’s how it’s going for us at the moment. With the penalty, if the referee gives offside then Charlie Mulgrew isn’t sent off. I don’t think I can ask any more of the players.We kept trying to do the right things.”

Mixu Paatelainen’s team selection of three up front for Hibs was perhaps a nod to how vulnerable he perceived Aberdeen to be. And they are. The last thing Calderwood wanted was almost the first thing he got when Zander Diamond’s casually-overhit backpass had Langfield scrambling to save with his feet to prevent the prospect of a bizarre own goal. Hibs needed an acrobatic one-handed save from Yves Ma-Kalambay to deny Richard Foster’s curled strike from close range after he burst through the middle, while at the other end Fletcher’s long-range hit failed to test Langfield as much as Diamond had.

Riordan’s first attempt at goal snaked just wide on 24 minutes after a fine run and pullback from Lewis Stevenson on the left. This latest stint at Hibs, though, is all about Riordan taking his second chance and he did that here. Fletcher closed down and dispossessed a hesitant Lee Mair on the right flank before letting Riordan take over. The finish was typically composed, Riordan rounding Langfield before getting his body shape right to stroke the ball into the net from an acute angle. “Lee Mair is a player who’s been doing really well for us, but he’s made a mistake you can’t legislate for,” admitted Calderwood.

Ma-Kalambay had already pushed a Leee Miller shot wide and needed to be agile again to beat away a Scott Severin strike. John Rankin’s through ball to Fletcher might have seen a Hibs second had the resulting shot been less wayward. What Aberdeen needed was a moment where they would feel their luck had turned. And Mike McCurry, the referee, was to provide it, the Baptist minister answering Aberdeen prayers when he adjudged Sol Bamba’s apparent shoulder charge on Miller to be worthy of a penalty. Miller dusted himself down and duly polished off the spot kick for 1-1 at the break.

Aberdeen looked the more purposeful after the restart, Mulgrew sending in a free-kick that had Steven Thicot producing a backheader that looped close to his own net. With none of the three Hibs frontmen tracking back, Aberdeen were making use of their superior midfield numbers to control possession. Calderwood’s next frustration was that nothing was coming of it and on 66 minutes he replaced the mediocre Darren Mackie with Chris Maguire. Nothing, though, continued to happen and, finally, Hibs sensed that this match could be theirs. So it proved.

Riordan kissed his badge in celebration at claiming his second. “I only ever kiss the Hibs badge because I’m a Hibs boy,” he said. Not that he was given much of a chance to flirt with Celtic’s. “This move has worked out for me quite quickly, but I’ve taken my chance by playing to my strengths.” And exposing Aberdeen’s weaknesses in the process.

Star man:Derek Riordan (Hibernian)

ABERDEEN:Langfield 6, Hodgkiss 5 (Young 76min), Diamond 6, Mair 5, Mulgrew 5, Foster 6, Kerr 7, Severin 7, Aluko 6, Miller 7, Mackie 4 (Maguire 66min)

HIBERNIAN:Ma-Kalambay 7, Van Zanten 5, Bamba 5, Jones 6, Murray 7, Rankin 6, Thicot 7 (Shiels 74min), Stevenson 7, Nish 6, Fletcher 7, Riordan 8

Referee:M McCurry Attendance:10,793

Yellow card: Hibernian:Nish 45 Red card: Aberdeen:Mulgrew 78