Hibs boss Neil Lennon warns of bigger challenges ahead after opening win

Hibernian head coach Neil Lennon sounded a note of caution after his side returned to the top flight in style.

Hibs quickly overturned an early Chris Erskine goal to defeat Partick Thistle 3-1 at Easter Road in their first Ladbrokes Premiership game in three years.

Martin Boyle levelled, Steven Whittaker finished off a slick counter-attack and Simon Murray netted a 52nd-minute penalty to maintain the feelgood factor in Leith following last season's Championship triumph and the William Hill Scottish Cup success 12 months earlier.

But Lennon said: ''You have got to temper that. There are things we can learn from the game.

When they are out there they have got to manage the game, and they did that.

We didn't press Partick early enough for the goal but after that our pressing was really good. We won the ball high up the pitch and punished them. We have got players who can hurt them.''

Danny Swanson was influential while John McGinn relished his return to the top division and Boyle won the penalty for Murray, who worked tirelessly up front.

Lennon also reintroduced Anthony Stokes to the Hibs fans with 20 minutes left, but the former Celtic boss knows he has a tough week ahead.

Ayr visit Easter Road on Betfred Cup duty after starting the season with five wins and 20 goals, before Hibs travel to Ibrox next weekend.

''We have a different challenge coming up on Tuesday, a different challenge coming up on Saturday,'' Lennon said.

''But I am very, very pleased with the way they have handled the occasion and the opposition, who are going to cause teams problems this season.''

Thistle looked vulnerable through the middle and manager Alan Archibald was frustrated with his side's slack play inside their own half.

But Archibald added: ''The back four has not played a lot together. There is a bit of leeway in that and for Niall Keown it was the first time he has set foot on the pitch. I thought he stood up manfully there.

We will work on them, we will go back to basics in terms of getting them on the training pitch as much as we can, because they have not had an awful lot of time as a back four to do that.''

Thistle lost main goalscorer Kris Doolan to a hamstring strain before the half-hour mark, heightening their need for a new striker.

Archibald said: ''We lost Ade Azeez so it's an area we have been looking to strengthen. I'm frustrated it's not happened before now but we need to get players in immediately. We have space for two forward-thinking players.'