Lennon prepared to axe Kamberi if work ethic doesn't improve

Hibernian head coach Neil Lennon has warned Florian Kamberi he is on borrowed time unless he bucks up his ideas, criticising the striker over a perceived lack of work ethic and hunger.

Kamberi, 23, missed a gilt-edged opportunity to cancel out Ryan Hardie's opener at Easter Road on Saturday and produced a woeful penalty that was easily saved by Liam Kelly.

And, although Ryan Porteous did rescue a 1-1 draw, Lennon was in no mood to forgive and forget after seeing the rangy forward produce another below-par showing.

Lennon said: “I can always change it the way I did last season when I got rid of (Anthony) Stokes and (Simon) Murray and brought in other players. The Livingston goal comes from Kamberi giving the ball away and falling on his back side. He did that a lot.

“I don't know if it's a confidence thing or a lack of application but he's nowhere near as hungry as he was last season.

“This is a criticism but we've been sitting on this for weeks but we're getting no response from him. We maybe need to look at other avenues to get goals. That's up to him. We've been talking to him in private for a long time.

“It's his all-round work rate which isn't there. If you aren't doing that then we are a man down and that's not acceptable anymore.”

In sharp contrast, Livi boss Gary Holt lavished praise on Ryan Hardie, whose dinked finish past Adam Bogdan was his fourth goal in three outings since returning from a serious ankle injury.

Holt said: “He is a massive asset to us. We've been fortunate to have boys who have stepped in and been able to do a job for games but to have Ryan, a natural goalscorer, is important.

“You saw it with his goal. He told me he was going to round the keeper, but when he came out that made it easy for him. I was thinking it was a great finish - he thinks it's easy!"

• superscoreboard