Headaches still for Bobby
Injury situation gets no better for Hibs boss as Doumbe admits to giving away penalty....

The result against Motherwell on Wednesday night was probably a sore one for most Hibs fans to take.  After all we were 2-0 up at half time and then it all came crashing down.  But from what I heard on the radio – yes I wasn’t there – it sounded a lively and interesting game.  Six goals, two penalties in a short time frame and a late equaliser unfortunately! But at least Hibs are back on the goal trail and with two first goals at first team level for Kevin Nicol and Alan Reid, congratulations guys!

Next up is an away trip to Firhill to play bottom of the league Partick Thistle.  Hibs will need to pull this one off in front of the travelling support and of course for the rest of the Hibee faithful who will be intently listening for the score if they’re anything like me on a Saturday when Hibs are playing these days.  Partick have been scoring goals of late and are still clinging to the slight hope of survival which is drifting quickly towards almost impossible.  But that doesn’t mean that Gerry Britton and Derek Whyte will not have instilled the passion into their squad to go out in front of their own supporters and give Hibs a game of it.  Hibs have a little injury crisis ahead of this game which is probably the worst faced by Bobby Williamson during his time in charge of the club.  The long term injuries of Ian Murray, Grant Brebner and Stephen Glass with Yannick Zambernardi recovering well has been added to by Stephen Dobbie and Gary Smith.  This could give Bobby a little selection headache but with Tam McManus and Steven Whittaker waiting for their chances to shine from the start these two could be part of the answer for Bobby for Saturday’s game.

Alan Reid nets Hibs second on Wednesday night  (sns)

Having watched the 7-0 Greatest Game in History DVD yesterday along with the European Nights bit added in, many fans who remember those days will probably be wishing that the football was still like that with the old heads like Pat Stanton and crew of the 7-0 fame.  I have to admit after hearing so much about that game from people who were there I was dying to see the footage for myself and watch those goals and indeed the whole football world.  It made me see how much the game has changed.  The terracing is something I had never seen and the football itself was something else.  Watching guys like Alex Cropley, Pat Stanton and Arthur Duncan to name but three it gave me an insight to what the Hibs of that time was like compared to nowadays and the modern game, the only game I have ever known.  The young lads must aspire to be like those guys and the ones who are Hibees through and through will know all about these achievements.  And maybe one day they too will be talked about as Hibernian legends for one reason or another.  Who knows?

Well lads good luck for the game against Partick on Saturday.  I will be with you in spirit if not in body and willing you to do your best and give the fans a good result.  And also finally congratulations to the lads who have been called up to the Scotland Under 21 and Under 17 squads that is great news for their futures in the international game and it also shows that Hibs are bringing on talented youngsters.

In other news it looks unlikely that Kevin Thomson will be making the trip to Partick on Saturday after only lasting 27 minutes of the game on Wednesday night before a recurrence of the ankle injury which kept him out of the Celtic game.

Mathias Doumbe has admitted that the penalty decision given in Motherwell's favour on Wednesday night was indeed correct!  In an interview on the official club website today, Tam McManus also admits that the one awarded to the home side just minutes later was suspect to say the least!  “To be fair Mathias Doumbe admitted after the game that it was a penalty, so you have to accept that. I thought ours was a little bid dodgy mind you, in fact that was never a penalty!"  The Under-21 International also admitted that the chances of Hibs making it into the top six for the final few games of the season were slipping away and to have any hope of climbing up the table, a win tomorrow is a must.

“The top six target is drifting away a bit but we’ll keep fighting to the death, we have to go to Partick now and win and then turn our attention to the remaining games. It is going to be difficult but we are not giving up yet and we are trying hard to give something back to the fans for their superb support this season.”  With the lowest crowd for a League match at Easter Road in some time, the prospects of a large travelling support tomorrow may seem slim, and with two home games following on over the next two weekends, three points are also a must if the club don't want to see that sort of attendance again.