Hibs manager Marink Reedijk isn’t particularly accustomed to losing. But with this lot at his disposal, he might have to get used to it.

Having gone unbeaten with Beveren in Belgium’s second tier last season, the new boss has been defeated twice in as many weeks in Scotland’s top flight. It couldn’t have gone much worse until this point.

They way in which Hibs gifted Falkirk a two-goal lead here at Easter Road was inexplicable. But not in the least bit surprising.

Shooting themselves in the foot is the norm in these parts. David Gray copped heavy flak towards the end – some of it deserved – but even his harshest critic would accept he was let down by individuals time and time again in big moments.

On early evidence, Reedijk is going to have the same issue. This team are toothless up top and incapable of keeping a clean sheet at the other end. It’s a recipe for disaster.

The Dutchman arrives with a reputation for getting his teams playing swashbuckling football, however that’s going to take time. Until then, the players have to help him out a bit by taking care of the simple things in order to start building some momentum. They can’t even do that.

To be sitting bottom of the Premiership with nine games played is unacceptable. But as they say, the table doesn’t lie.

Unless Hibs get their act together pronto, they are going to be in a relegation battle. Too good to down? Nonsense.

Look, it wasn’t all bad. There were decent passages of play throughout, and at least they played much of the contest on the front foot. The brutal errors render everything else meaningless, though.

Reedijk said: ‘I think we are a thief of our own wallet. I think we gave away two easy goals.

‘If you dominate in this way, you can’t lose.

‘I’m just here for three weeks, so for me, we have to be careful in terms of what kind of conclusions I can get out of this. I think they are more than capable of what we are doing. Otherwise, we don’t do it in this way.

‘I have a sick feeling in my stomach. But I saw a better team today and I see progress.’

Reedijk would have been encouraged with his side’s start, at least.

Thibault Klidje was first to try his luck, curling wide of Scott Bain’s left-hand post from the angle of the area. He really should have hit the target.

The striker then made a mess of a promising counter attack at the end of a lovely move which started in Hibs’ own six-yard box, overhitting a pass down the line to the overlapping Adam Mayor with several better options available to him.

Reedijk bemoaned his team’s indecision in the final third following last weekend’s defeat at Dundee Utd, and it’s fair to say he wasn’t too chuffed with his frontman here either. Not that he was the only one to be on the receiving end of a steely glare from the sidelines.

Azeem Abdulai was next to cop it on 13 minutes as Falkirk took the lead against the run of play, letting a straightforward ball trundle between his legs in the centre circle and into the path of Ryan Strain.

His ball in behind was perfect for Jacob Murrell, who lashed beyond the reach of Raphael Sallinger.

This was the home fans’ first proper look at Abdulai as he made his first start for the club following a summer move from Leyton Orient. Given that he hadn’t kicked a ball since the middle of August, his inclusion raised a few eyebrows ahead of kick-off. He didn’t particularly impress.

The visitors doubled their lead on 37 minutes courtesy of another Hibs howler.

Quite what went through Klidje’s mind as he attempted a backheel down at his own corner flag, only he will know, with the ball falling into the path of Murrell on the edge of the box.

The American’s finish high into the roof of the net was emphatic. Kamikaze stuff from a Hibs perspective.

Against the backdrop of a chorus of boos, Reedijk’s men somehow gave themselves a lifeline four minutes before the break.

Felix Passlack – not for the first time – was given acres of space on the right flank to pick out Owen Elding completely unmarked five yards out to bundle home.

The Irishman spurned a glorious chance to level the scores early in the second period after being played clean through. He should have burst the net, but opted instead to round Bain, who was having none of it.

Hibs dominated the ball but did precisely hee-haw with it until substitute Jamie McGrath forced a fine stop from Bain with a low drive from range with 10 to play. That came just seconds after Owen Eames had clipped the post for Falkirk at the other end.

Any hope of a late leveller went out the window in stoppage-time when Jason Kerr galloped across halfway and promptly passed the ball straight of out play in stoppage-time. It summed up Hibs’ performance perfectly.

Falkirk on the other hand were, to a man, outstanding. It wasn’t pretty, manager John McGlynn didn’t care one jot.

‘We’ve had a few sore ones recently with losing late goals,’ he said. ‘And we were potentially in that situation today.

‘I’m so proud of the players, they put in a helluva lot of work.

‘It was all about winning for us today. It’s a huge three points for us and from here, we want to kick on.’

HIBERNIAN (4-2-3-1): Sallinger; Passlack, Kerr, Ivezic, Mayor (Suto 76); Chaiwa (Cadden 76), Abdulai (McGrath 61); Boyle, Mulligan, Klidje (Matondo 60); Elding.

Booked: Elding.

FALKIRK (4-2-3-1): Bain; Strain, Neilson, Henderson, Tanser (McCann 46); Spencer, Barbrook (Yeats 84); Ross (Fodrey 77), Krauhaus (Melniks 65), Eames (McMillan 85); Murrell.

Booked: Krauhaus, Strain, Barbrook.

Referee: Nick Walsh.

Attendance: 18,390.