Pittodrie defeat upsets Collins

Collins was disappointed with Hibs performance at Pittodrie

Hibernian manager John Collins was frustrated at his side's mediocre showing at Pittodrie after Aberdeen claimed a deserved 3-1 SPL victory.

"We fell well below the high standards we have set this season," he said.

"Our passing and control wasn't good, but all credit to Aberdeen as I thought they played very well while it was a disappointing performance from us.

"Away from home if you don't play well then you very rarely get anything from the game and they deserved their win."

Interview: Hibernian manager John Collins

The Edinburgh outfit were minus Rob Jones who developed a groin problem in training, and although the Hibs chief hopes the defender will recover through the week, he admitted his side failed to cope with the Englishman's absence.

"There is no doubt we missed Rob Jones at the heart of the defence as he is such a commanding figure for us and he wins every header," he added.

"We don't have another Rob Jones at the club though, so we are just going to have to live with that."

Steven Fletcher's goal - where the striker received a sublime pass from Merouane Zemmama before darting past Lee Mair to score with a fine shot - was the only real highlight during a tough 90 minutes for the Edinburgh side.

Third-placed Hibs now lie five points behind Rangers, while Aberdeen's victory elevates them to the top six.