Hibs' homage to Gray was a touch of class at a club in perfect unison

Over the course of Hibs’ spectacular rise from bottom feeders to Best of the Rest, for the moment at least, it has been the post-match vibe at Easter Road in the wake of big results that has attracted all the attention. Until now.

Home wins over Celtic and Hearts caught the eye and tugged the heartstrings thanks to the rousing renditions of Sunshine On Leith, the players wrapping arms round each other’s shoulders and looking on in wonder into the choir in the East Stand.

On Saturday, though, it was different. The atmosphere was crackling before kick-off. The crowd was large and expectant and in situ relatively early — by Scottish standards, anyway, where downing the last of your pint at 2.59pm and hotfooting it to the turnstiles is seen as the epitome of good timekeeping.

The pre-match tifo display behind the goal — celebrating ‘Sir David Gray. Our Leader. Our Legend’ — was just terrific. Cap doffed to the organisers.

Easter Road had been in the process of establishing itself as something of a fortress anyway. That’s the old Cabbage and Ribs on an eight-game winning streak at home. Seven of those have been in the league and that’s the best run since 2018.

If this kind of atmosphere can be built upon longer-term, though, it really will become a venue any other club will dread visiting. There is a real symbiosis developing between fans and players there at the moment.

Hibs supporters unfurled an impressive tifo display paying tribute to the work of their manager

David Gray looked to be on the brink of the sack in November but has since led his side to third

Martin Boyle is all smiles as he celebrates giving his side a third-minute lead at Easter Road

Gray referred to it in his post-match analysis, that the remarkable run that has propelled Hibs to third spot, three points clear of Aberdeen with just three games left to play, has been fuelled by the sense of everyone pulling together.

Listen, the destination of the points in this game was never in doubt. Two goals in the first 14 minutes from home captain Martin Boyle and striker Mykola Kuharevich — gifted, it has to be said, by some absolutely scandalous defending from Dundee United — saw to that.

Yet, the hosts did go through something of a sticky spell early in the second 45 with visiting substitute Kristijan Trapanovski putting the ball in the net. What was noticeable, though, was that the home supporters stayed behind their team. Never wavered. Kept pushing them on.

That’s not always been the case and a late effort from substitute Dwight Gayle made the scoreline more reflective of the 90 minutes.

When asked about the tifo display in his honour, Gray was typically self-deprecating. He quickly turned the focus onto the players deserving credit for getting the fanbase behind them and then thanked the punters for their role in the club’s ever-improving fortunes.

While he may be uneasy with the praise, the 37-year-old deserves every bit of it. Brendan Rodgers is on the brink of a Treble at Celtic while John McGlynn has won back-to-back promotions with Falkirk, but Gray deserves to be up there with them on the shortlists for the Manager of the Year awards.

Mykola Kuharevich unleashes a super second goal to put the home side on course for victory

There could be no argument if any of the three came out on top. Gray won’t be winning any silverware, but to finish third and secure European football would be a fantastic feat given where Hibs were just over five months ago.

Thanks to a 4-1 hosing at Dundee, they were rock bottom of the league after 13 games. Gray looked a dead man walking. He’d been given the job amid reports of friction and disagreement between owner Ian Gordon and Bill Foley’s Black Knight investment group.

It’s in such circumstances that you see the measure of a person, though, and Gray comported himself splendidly throughout that period. He never hid from the team’s shortcomings, took everything on the chin, was honest about his own position and belied his own inexperience as a manager by leading the club through the storm.

It was impressive and deserves great credit. Not to mention impressive tifo displays.

Of course, European football next season remains a target for United as well, despite this hurtful reverse. Hibs were by far the better team on Saturday, but the visitors shot themselves in the foot with some awful errors at the back. There remains a very good chance the top five in the Premiership will be in UEFA competition next term, though, and the Tangerines are five points clear of St Mirren in fifth — not to mention just three behind Aberdeen.

Dundee United boss Jim Goodwin has achieved a minor miracle with his side this season

They just have to clear this game out of the pipes tout de suite and focus on the fact there’s still everything to play for.

Goodwin may not have been mentioned for any Manager of the Year gongs, but his work cannot be underplayed. This is the Tannadice club’s first season back in the Premiership and they are still competing for third.

As he pointed out, they have a relatively small squad and players playing through injuries. They have done terrifically well — and so has Goodwin.

United’s decision to take him on two years ago was met with surprise, given his disastrous spell as manager of Aberdeen, which ended with a Scottish Cup loss to Darvel and a six-goal hammering at Easter Road. In truth, that period could have finished him, but he has shown real self-belief and backed that up with an impressive body of work on Tayside.

Gray’s story of redemption has been one of the major plotlines of this season, but Goodwin’s is equally worthy of respect and admiration. And if his players do secure a return to European football, maybe even a tifo of his own, United fans.