It was, however, not a new phenomenon but a conundrum which had tested both John Collins and Tony Mowbray in preceding seasons, four away wins the year before and five going back a further 12 months. So to have already got two away wins on the board,
allied to a welcome point from Inverness Caledonian Thistle's "bogey" ground, represents something of an achievement for Mixu Paatelainen's players.
Of course it is far too early to start making rash predictions but the signs are promising, wins over Hamilton and now Aberdeen the first time Hibs have managed back-to-back league wins on their travels in three years.
Coincidentally, it was a Derek Riordan goal at Pittodrie which marked the first of those two triumphs, the second coming four days later against Dunfermline at East End Park courtesy of a double from Garry O'Connor.
Today's Hibs side is barely recognisable from those days but with Riordan back in the fold following a barren two seasons with Celtic, there's a fair argument to be made that the Edinburgh side boast the best strikeforce in the SPL outwith the Old Firm.
So how do you fit Riordan, Steven Fletcher and Colin Nish into your plans? Simple, play all three.
It was a bold decision by Paatelainen given Hibs hadn't won in the Granite City since October 22, 2005, but one which, he insisted, wasn't made on the basis of the Dons' current predicament, second bottom of the table, beaten in their four previous matches and without a win on home soil this season.
Paatelainen, who had admitted prior to the game he was tempted to field a three-pronged attack, said: "It wasn't because Aberdeen are struggling, I've said all along I wanted to see how that would work.
"I know the boys can cause opponents trouble and I just felt it was the right time to do it and be really positive."
Accommodating all three meant Nish being thrust onto the right wing, a position in which the tall striker admitted he wasn't entirely comfortable, but conceding, in familiar footballing parlance, that he'd be happy to play anywhere if it helped his side win.
And having done just that Nish said: "It was a great result, Pittodrie is a hard place to visit at any time and I felt we deserved the three points. I don't really like playing right wing and the manager was telling me to get in and play with Fletch a bit more but I couldn't because of the job I was doing out there.
"If it means helping the team get three points then I am happy."
Dean Shiels found himself the odd man out, dropped to the bench to make way for the three hitmen but, in another bold move, Paatelainen thrust him into the fray, an attacking midfielder, in place of the hobbling Steven Thicot, who had played a holding role in the middle of the park.
The move paid off, albeit in controversial circumstances, as Shiels played in Nish, who saw his shot beaten away by Aberdeen goalkeeper Jamie Langfield, the ball falling for Riordan who fired it goalwards where Fletcher, looking decidedly offside, flicked his boot at it, Dons defender Charlie Mulgrew instinctively pushing out a hand to prevent it going into the net.The upshot was a red card, a penalty and the chance for Riordan to claim his second goal of the game.
Riordan argued his strike was going in regardless of Fletcher's intervention, but Nish agreed Hibs had enjoyed a lucky, if welcome, break. He said: "The last few times up there we haven't had any breaks. I thought Fletch was well offside but we are quite happy to take the decision."
Aberdeen rightly felt hard done by, but Hibs, too, were aggrieved when Sol Bamba was adjudged by referee Mike McCurry to have illegally impeded Lee Miller, the resulting penalty falling into the "very soft" category but giving the ex-Hearts striker the chance to cancel out Riordan's earlier opener from the spot.
Coming as it did just minutes after Fletcher had passed up a glorious chance to double Hibs' lead and with the half-time whistle rapidly approaching, Miller's goal lifted the under-fire Dons but while they enjoyed plenty of possession after the interval they, as Riordan pointed out, rarely carved out even a half-chance.
He said: "When they went down to ten men they were struggling and the game opened up for us." Riordan, in fact, had a chance to complete his hat-trick, lashing at a high ball on the volley as it fell rather than using the time available to bring it under control, but, having already scored three goals, he promised there's plenty more to come from him.
Riordan, who has fitted in as if he has never been away, said: "The more games for me the better, I feel I am getting fitter with every match and that's good.
"I'm delighted to be back, we have a good bunch of lads, the manager and coaching staff are brilliant. The gaffer wants attacking football, he likes getting the ball up to the strikers and that works out well for us."
Like Riordan, Nish also believes there's much more to come, describing his younger team-mates as probably the most natural finishers in Scottish football. But he insisted there's more to the pair than simply scoring goals. He said: "Both of them set up chances, too. Derek plays in a funny position, he doesn't play as a striker but off. When he gets the ball he wants to shoot and nine times out of ten he scores.
"He's quality, sometimes he just does things that make you think. We hadn't really had a chance but then he seems to just be in the right place, his first goal was brilliant finishing."
Paatelainen, too, was naturally delighted to clock up what was an important win given Hibs' current punishing schedule, the Easter Road boss saying: "We came to take three points and thankfully we did that.
"Aberdeen started positively, put us under a bit of pressure, but we deservedly took the lead when we came into the game and I was disappointed it was 1-1 at half-time. They put us under pressure again in the second half but you have to give credit to our defence, they were really organised. And Dean coming on changed the game, he was very lively, getting on the ball and making things happen.
"After losing to Rangers I am delighted to see us back to winning ways."
Aberdeen: Langfield, Hodgkiss (Young 77), Mair, Diamond, Mulgrew, Foster, Kerr, Severin, Aluko, Miller, Mackie (Maguire 66). Subs: Bossu, McDonald, Wright, Duff, Considine.
Hibs: Ma-Kalambay, Van Zanten, Bamba, Jones, Murray, Rankin, Thicot (Shiels 74), Stevenson, Nish, Fletcher, Riordan. Subs: McNeil, Yantorno, Keenan, Hanlon, Chisholm, Pinau.
The full article contains 1194 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
