Renewed Jess Links
(Stuart Crowther)

HIBERNIAN ARE BEING linked today with Aberdeen's Scottish International midfielder Eoin Jess - 4 months after Hibs interest in the player was first revealed by Hibs.net news!

Press reports are today linking Jess with a possible move to Easter Road when his contract ends at Pittodrie in the summer.  Back in October last year, Hibs.net reported: "The Aberdeen midfielder is being seen by many as a possible replacement for Russell Latapy, although there are no signs that the Trinidad and Tobago star will be going anywhere just yet.  The links between Jess and the Hibs boss are cited as one reason why the player may land at Easter Road after failing to reach agreement on a new deal with the Dons.  Another less known connection is the fact that Hibs defender Gary Smith was best man at Eoin's wedding!"

Gary O'Connor beats the Livi defence at Broxburn today (hibs.net)

And today Hibs boss Alex McLeish confirmed he would be interested in his former Aberdeen team-mate, saying: "I quite like Eoin. He is a decent player but the money that is being bandied about makes it unlikely that we could afford him if we were to pursue him.  Everybody like to hit you with the fact that a player is out-of-contract, that they won't cost you a fee but we still have financial structures whether he costs a fee or not.  If Eoin was someone who could come in to our structures and we lost key players, then I would consider it."  It is perhaps ironic that Jess is currently on-loan at Bradford - the very club credited with an interest in Latapy earlier this week!

Hibs Under-18 side were unlucky this afternoon when going down 1-0 to Livingston at Albyn Park in Broxburn.  On a freezing afternoon with a bitter wind, it was the conditions that had more say than the players.  Livingston had the better of the play in the first half with the wind in their backs, and opened the scoring after 35 minutes when a free kick from the left was not cleared by the Hibs defence, and was touched beyond the reach of goalkeeper Willie Bald.

Spot the ball at Broxburn (hibs.net)

Hibs though chose the high-road in the second half, urged on by coach Donald Park they played to the conditions and looked to send the long ball over the top.  It almost worked, as the Easter Road youngsters kept the West Lothian side under almost constant pressure, with Hibs midfielder Derek Riordan causing problems.  Riordan looked the best player on the park as he crafted three clear-cut chances, each skimming inches past the upright.  Hibs came close to a deserved equaliser with five minutes remaining, when awarded a free kick 20 yards out, but Riordan's shot was once again inches off target.  Hibs line up was: Bald; Shand, Dempsie, Riordan, Harding, Brownlee, Barr, Cormack, Gibson, Boyle and O'Connor.  Subs: Ogilvie, Black, Whittaker.