Bowie at the double as Hibs beat Dundee to get first win of new Premiership season

Kieron Bowie struck a first-half double as Hibernian overcame their European exertions to inflict more early-season woe on new Dundee boss Steven Pressley with a 2-1 win at Dens Park in their Premiership opener.

The Scotland forward notched twice in the space of three minutes to give the Easter Road side the initiative.

Dundee, bidding to ignite some positivity following a demoralising Premier Sports Cup group-stage exit that included defeats by lower-league sides Airdrie and Alloa, hit back swiftly through Finlay Robertson.

But Hibs – who arrived on Tayside on the back of a gruelling 120-minute encounter with Midtjylland in the Europa League on Thursday – were able to see out the second half in relatively comfortable fashion.

Pressley, whose appointment in June was widely deemed underwhelming among supporters even before their cup calamity, included four summer signings in his starting XI but talismanic captain Simon Murray missed out through injury.

Hibs boss David Gray opted to make just one change to the side that started the agonising extra-time defeat by Midtjylland despite having another testing European fixture to come away to Partizan Belgrade in the Conference League this Thursday.

The Easter Road side had the majority of the ball in the early exchanges and made the breakthrough from their first clear opportunity in the 28th minute.

It came with an element of fortune as Dundee got themselves in a mess trying to deal with a Jordan Obita cross into the box and the ball broke kindly to Bowie, who drilled a low angled finish past Jon McCracken from 10 yards out.

Three minutes later, Bowie struck again. Jack Iredale’s ball over the top released Obita who drove into the box and saw his effort blocked by McCracken, only for Bowie to follow up and drive home the rebound from a similar position to his first goal.

Dundee were gifted a way back into the game in the 36th minute when a slip from Iredale allowed Ashley Hay to dispossess him and cut the ball back for Robertson, who fired home from just outside the six-yard box.

Dee defender Luke Graham just failed to connect with a tantalising inswinging delivery from the left in the 59th minute.

It was Hibs, however, who looked the likelier side to add to their lead in the closing half-hour, with substitute Josh Campbell seeing a header brilliantly saved by McCracken before the midfielder threatened with another couple of attempts after being picked out by corners from fellow substitute Jamie McGrath.