United
crocodile tears won't wash!
Moaning Taysiders have no cause
for complaint - STUART CROWTHER IT
SEEMS THAT EVERY VISIT to Easter Road by Alex Smith's Dundee
United is accompanied by cries of 'we wiz robbed', and last night the
Tayside club were at it again as a controversial clincher for Hibs was
followed immediately by a deserved red card for Charlie Miller.
Rather than looking to
the lack of discipline of his own players, who must have produced
something of a record count in terms of free kicks awarded against them,
United boss Alex Smith chose to grumble at referee Toner and his officials
missing a 'hand ball' by Paco Luna just ahead of the Spaniard clinching a
much deserved victory for Hibs. That the goal was a long-overdue
addition to the first minute opener by a lively Tam McManus was largely
ignored by the United boss, who had seen his side strangled by a Hibs side
who at last showed some grit, and which never allowed the visitors the
slightest chance of progressing to the CIS Cup semi-final stage.
Speaking of Luna's
second half clincher, a raging Smith said: "The
lads are sure it was handball and so am I. In my book handball is
not a goal. The referee told me Charlie had been sent off for using
bad language to tell him it was not a goal. I'm disappointed to have
lost a key player at such a vital time but the players were very
angry." Smith's players had every right to be angry, but
more at their own failure to control a Hibs side that clearly had
something to prove not only to their manager and Hibs fans, but to
themselves. Alex McLeish made three changes to the side that went
down tamely to Livingston on Saturday, out went Frederic Arpinon, Grant
Brebner and Craig Brewster to make way for Alen Orman, Tam McManus and
David Zitelli.
Frustration at a chance missed - but McManus turned in a cracker (sns)
All three players
brought in made their mark in the game, Orman at right-back giving Hibs a
much more balanced look on that side of the park while McManus ran himself
into the ground, in particular after receiving the boost of opening the
scoring after less than a minute. It was the return of Zitelli
however that above all provided the spark that was missing for some
months. The Frenchman slotted into the left side of Hibs midfield,
and terrorised the United defence from the moment his first-minute free
kick was deflected into the path of McManus, who wasted no time in heading
the ball home. The young striker did not need telling just how
important that goal and the subsequent victory is for his side, saying: "It
is a big win for us, we are delighted to give the fans something to be
happy about."
A clearly delighted
and perhaps relieved Alex McLeish agreed, adding: "Tam
did well for us, and it was the ideal start. We got a couple of wee
breaks we have not been getting lately." Hibs will now
travel to Parkhead on Saturday with renewed confidence, and that will have
been noted by Celtic boss Martin O'Neill who was once again in the Easter
Road stand last night as a very much interested observer. O'Neill
has been linked with a move for Hibs defender Ulrik Laursen, and if
there is any truth in that then the Celtic boss cannot have been anything
other than impressed by the performance of the Dane last night.
Laursen was immense, and largely the reason why almost an hour had passed
by before Dundee United managed to get a shot in on the Hibs goal. Middlesbrough
are also said to be showing an interest in Laursen, but Hibs fans will be
quick to point out that transfer talk over Easter Road stars are quite
normal ahead of a trip to Glasgow.
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