ANOTHER stalemate in Scotland, and even though Huddersfield Town threw away a two-goal lead, there were still plenty of positives to pick with their first competitive match just a fortnight away.

New centre-back Joel Lynch made a very solid first start while busy displays by Lee Novak and Sean Scannell were rewarded with a goal apiece in showery Edinburgh.

Meanwhile with former Blackpool midfielder Keith Southern joining up today and in line to feature at Crewe on Wednesday, Oscar Gobern and Anton Robinson showed they fully intend to challenge for places.

Held 1-1 by another Scottish Premier League side, Kilmarnock, last Wednesday, Town came flying out of the traps this time.

And there were signs of unrest among the Easter Road faithful as that bright beginning brought two goals by the 18th minute.

But Hibernian, whose opening SPL game is at Dundee United on Sunday, got back into their final friendly against the run of play through Leigh Griffiths and moved up a gear during the final 15 minutes of the first half.

With Town making eight changes at the break and four more as the match wore on, things became a little ragged, and honours finished even after a fine 63rd-minute leveller from Ivan Sproule.

As well as former Nottingham Forest man Lynch, manager Simon Grayson handed a first pre-season start to midfielder Chris Atkinson and had Jack Hunt, fit again after a hamstring niggle, at right-back in a 4-3-3 formation.

Lynch was soon in the thick of things, heading clear at Wolves loan striker Griffiths, a real fulcrum for the home team, chased David Wotherspoon’s through ball, then making a chunky block tackle to halt the striker in his tracks.

While Jordan Rhodes inevitably hogged the headlines last season, Novak weighed in with a more-than-useful 17 goals.

And he showed a pleasing willingness to shoot on Saturday, twice testing Ben Williams with full-blooded rising drives which the former Colchester keeper had to parry rather than catch.

Click on the link below to view a gallery of match action shots from the game

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Ironically, when his 13th-minute goal arrived, it was a straightforward low finish after being set up by the unselfish Rhodes, who broke the Hibs offside trap and squared the ball to his unmarked teammate rather than go for goal himself.

Scannell had already shown glimpses of his trickery when he seized on Novak’s clever pass and darted between centre-backs David Stephens and James McPake before curling a low right footer past Williams from just inside the penalty area.

Scannell was off target with a volleyed effort from Paul Dixon’s 25th-minute cross, and rather than being three to the good, Town were only one up after Griffiths beat Alex Smithies with a firm low shot from Wotherspoon’s cross in the 28th.

The home team were now playing some neat stuff.

But even so, Scannell still managed to fire against the face of the bar and over while there was little to really trouble Smithies, whose was replaced by former Hibs keeper Nick Colgan for the second half.

Hunt, Lynch and Scannell were the only Town men to stay on, and with Hibs also making changes, it took a while for the second half to heat up.

Alan Lee headed wide from Oliver Norwood’s cross before former Bristol City player Sproule, hovering on the right, made the most of Griffiths’ pass, cutting inside before unleashing a powerful shot into the opposite to corner.

Town finished the stronger, and Robinson had an effort held by Williams and Danny Ward a low shot blocked before Antony Kay headed narrowly over from Norwood’s corner.