Dundee United continued their poor run of form at home with yet another disappointing performance. Having not won a SPL game at Tannadice since April, the Tangerine outfit never looked as if they would really halt this run.
With only two minutes on the clock, the Terrors grabbed the lead. After good running from Lilley had forced a corner, Jamie Paterson fired in an inswinging corner. Mark Wilson, ghosting in at the far corner and outjumped the Hibs defence to power his header high into the net, for his first goal for the club.
Stunned, the visitors forced three corners in quick succession and it was no surprise that five minutes later they pulled back the equaliser from yet another corner. Jarkko Wiss drove the ball in and with the United defence posted missing, Paul Fenwick flicked the ball on to the unmarked Ian Murray for a simple nod in from three yards.
After this exciting opening, the fans would have rightly believed they were in for a thriller. Unfortunately for the next 25 minutes, they could have gone to sleep.
The next serious chance did not arrive until the 33rd minute when Jim McIntyre wasted a brilliant Charlie Miller pass which split the Hibs defence. At the other end, ex-United man Mixu Paatelainen threatened continuously and went close with a deft header and a deceiving flick in the space of two minutes.
And again three minutes from the break when Paul Gallacher's brilliance prevented a certain goal from the Finn's shot.
Any expectations of the creative play continuing after the break was diminished as both teams continued to scrap through repetitive errors. Although the one positive aspect was the level of urgency to the play but each side negated the other.
Chances continued to be squandered at either end, the most notable was Fenwick's superb last-ditch clearance in the 60th minute just as Lilley was ready to flick the ball in at the near post.
Two minutes later, man-of-the-match allacher pulled off another special save, holding John O'Neil's piledriver from the edge of the box.
As the game predictably fizzled out sub Steve Thomson was given a roasting by the home fans as he came on for Lilley, having declared his desire to leave Tannadice.