Hibernian stormed to a commanding victory over Dundee at Easter Road, equalling a club record 17-match unbeaten league run that dates all the way back to 1948.
Head coach David Gray hailed the feat as "an incredible achievement" after his side put on a dominant display to move three points clear in third place.
The win saw Hibs pull away from both Dundee United and Aberdeen in the race for European qualification, with the latter dropping points in a 2-2 draw against Rangers earlier in the day.
Rocky Bushiri opened the scoring in the first half, before substitute Kieron Bowie added a brace and veteran striker Dwight Gayle netted a composed third.
The result leaves second-bottom Dundee still a point behind Ross County and Kilmarnock, though they remain five ahead of bottom-placed St Johnstone.
“This was a great performance and a fantastic result,” Gray said.
“Seventeen games unbeaten is no fluke – it’s a testament to the consistency, the effort in training, and the mentality of this group. We keep finding little ways to write new pieces of history for this club.”
Relentless Hibs Punish Passive Dundee
Inspired by Aberdeen's earlier slip-up, Hibs started brightly and could have taken the lead inside the first minute, with Mykola Kuharevich blasting over after a neat pass from Junior Hoilett.
Dundee, hoping to notch back-to-back wins, gradually settled and carved out a chance of their own from a well-rehearsed free-kick, but Simon Murray’s effort was brilliantly stopped by Hibs keeper Jordan Smith.
The hosts remained on the front foot, and Kuharevich went close again, striking the base of the post.
But the pressure finally paid off on 25 minutes when Martin Boyle’s corner was met by Bushiri at the near post, the defender hooking the ball into the top corner.
Hibs kept up the intensity after the break. Bowie, introduced from the bench, doubled the lead after a flowing move involving Jordan Obita and Lewis Miller.
Gayle, also a second-half sub, then made it 3-0 with a classy finish into the bottom corner before Bowie added the fourth, rising to meet a superb cross from Nicky Cadden.
Gray’s Revival Continues to Impress
Hibs’ transformation under David Gray has been nothing short of remarkable.
Once languishing in the lower half of the table, they’ve turned their season around with a swagger—and now look strong favourites to secure third place and a return to European football.
The current squad is largely unchanged from the one that struggled earlier in the season, making the turnaround even more impressive.
And while the players deserve credit, it’s Gray’s leadership that has silenced early-season doubters and instilled belief across the club.
Dundee Left with Questions to Answer
For Dundee, it was a day to forget. Manager Tony Docherty had praised his defence in recent weeks, but the backline looked shaky from the start and never recovered after Bushiri’s opener.
Creative spark was also lacking, with top scorer Simon Murray feeding off scraps.
If Dundee are to avoid being dragged deeper into the relegation fight, they’ll need to find a sharper edge at both ends of the pitch.
While Hibs were undoubtedly excellent, Dundee will need a significant response in the coming weeks to ensure their survival.
What they said
Hibernian head coach David Gray: "I think we've demonstrated now, when we play at the top of our level, we're a really good side.
"All we've done at this moment in time is given ourselves a brilliant opportunity. We are not getting carried away. We need to stay humble. A lot of hard work's still to be done, but the challenge for us is, if we keep winning, nobody can catch us."
Dundee manager Tony Docherty: "Today was a surprise for me, I must admit. That's something that we need to get to the bottom of as a group.
"There's a lot of frustration and disappointment. The team that have been as good as we've been in our last four league fixtures, beating St Mirren, beating Dundee United, should have got a positive result against Rangers and a draw against St Johnstone - that team never turned up in the first half.
"Now whether that was down to Hibs' reputation or whatever, but certainly we addressed that at half-time."