Singing in the rain for Crunchie
Weather fails to stop Hibees turning out
A SODDEN WET FRIDAY NIGHT at the dilapidated
Brockville did not perhaps present the best conditions for Kevin
McAllister's testimonial committee to maximise the final big pay-day for
a little man who deserved a lot better, but almost 5,000 fans turned out
all the same - not that far below rattling old Brockville's capacity
these days! A large contingent of fans braved the miserable
weather to pay their own final tribute to McAllister, and while the 1-1
draw was never going to be a classic encounter this was not about one
game of football, it was about the many hundreds in which Crunchie had
entertained Falkirk and Hibs fans in particular.
It is to the great credit of every fan that nobody left
until after the final whistle and that final cheer for McAllister was
delivered. The biggest cheer of the night however came much
earlier, when after just half an hour of play Jamie McQuilken delivered
a inch-perfect cross that McAllister fair rammed into the net.
Never mind then that Mixu Paatelainen tried to ruin the night for the
wee man, equalising for Hibs in the second half when Alen Orman sent in
a cross for the Finn to bundle home with 20 minutes remaining, it was a
great tribute to McAllister who said: "I'm a bit humbled by the
occasion. I have been a Falkirk supporter all my life and to be a
Falkirk player was a dream come true for me."
John O'Neil - back in action at Falkirk last night (sns)
Hibs fans were praised by McAllister for making his night
that little bit special, while on the park it was clear that Hibs were
in not there simply to make up the numbers! John O'Neil managed to
play much of the game to the delight of the visiting support, O'Neil's
first outing since damaging his shoulder on the second day of the
season, while Frederic Arpinon also put in a 20-minute shift on the way
to his own comeback from injury. The best moment of the night for
Hibs fans however came when Yannick Zambernardi rattled the bar with an
effort almost from the half-way line, the Frenchman seems to be
increasing in confidence with every game and the feeling is that there
is something special waiting just around the corner!
Meanwhile Ian Murray led Scotland's Under-21 side to a
convincing 2-0 victory in Iceland. Both Murray and McManus started
for Scotland's younger side, and they combined to create a great opening
early in the game when Murray sent McManus clear, unfortunately the Hibs
striker could not control the ball as he rounded the goalkeeper and the
chance was gone. Scotland though took the lead soon after through
Kevin Kyle, and McManus's replacement with minutes to go was inspired
when his replacement Simon Lynch sent a delicate chip over the
goalkeeper to seal a great European Championship with for Rainer
Bonhof's side.
