John Leslie(8.5)

Leon Ashford(8) Andy Hardie(8) Jim McPherson(8) Neil Hinty(9)

Lee Steer(7.5) Jason Steer(8) Adam Pomoro(8) Russell Stinson(8)

Gerry Vavasour(8.5) Stevie Watts(8.5)


Substitutes:
Dave Lawlor(8.5)
John Weavers (Not Used)
Vinnie Robinson (Not Used)

Result 1-1

So the destiny of the league is out of our hands, ho bloody hum. We came we saw and we could tried all week to score but we couldn't. The reason, in your manager's view, we were trying to hard.

I could be hard on you and say that 60% of the team got absolutely totalled the night before. What is the point, we are all bitterly disappointed.

The match on a hard bumpy pitch was not a particularly attractive spectacle. They had one tactic, aimed at missing out the midfield. So they swept the ball forward time and again. We had chances; they had few, all of which were quashed by our defence. Their penalty when it came was an unmitigated disaster for us. It was not a penalty; it was clearly a handball by their Steve Fulton look-alike centre forward. In the event the ref awarded them a penalty, they took it well and went one nil up.

Gerry V in response moved forward and nipped in the box, got brought down and the ref awarded an unduly harsh penalty against Boro. At the end of the day it may have been fair in the scheme of things, but it was a real bummer that we had to concede one in the first place.

Up steps the Italian Stallion, to nip in for 1-1 and so it was at half time
and unfortunately at full time.

We battered this team constantly, Stevie Watts came close; Gerry V came close; Adam came close and Slim Jim came the closest having beaten 6 players he was facing the keeper and knocked it past.

Man of the match is Neil Hinty, who managed to play boro at their own game only better. Wee Dave did well coming on for the injured Lee Steer, laying off the ball and creating chances.

Match View:

I am disappointed, we are all disappointed, we will sort them out next season. This season we are finishing higher than them and hey we knocked them out of the cup.

Rangers still have EIRE and MAN U to play. In Adam's view Man U will try to do us a favour and get the result for us. We can only, hope, as our destiny is no longer in our control. Having said that, we still have EIRE to beat on Sunday.

So best foot forward guys, we still have to play our best to win something this season. Perhaps those sozzled on Saturday last week will take stock this weekend.

Kevin
Manager London Hibs

FOR AN ALTERNATIVE MATCH REPORT FROM ONE OF THE SUBS SEE BELOW

HIBS vs MIDDLESBOROUGH Mar 19^th 2000

Imagine the scene if you can.  A BBC wildlife documentary. David Attenborough’s reassuring commentary.  In the background the beautiful South African Sveld while before us a female giraffe gives birth.  For the next 2 hours the struggling baby, covered in umbilical fluids, struggles to take its first steps before succumbing to the encircling pride of lions – the mother looking around anxiously hoping against hope that disaster and tragedy are not seconds away.

Turn your thoughts now to a West London municipal football pitch on a bright Sunday afternoon. It’s not difficult is it? You can see Jim McPherson fussing around anxiously as Andy (Oliver) Hardie fails repeatedly to coordinate his leg movements as several Boro players gather hungrily around the flaying pup.

Hardie’s performance will surely test Kevin’s over generous scoring system to the very limit. It can only be explained if you assume he was a Borough double-agent, which isn’t hard to believe knowing that every time he shouted “Andy’s” a Middlesborough player would inevitably end up in possession.

Team scores

John Leslie  - only had one task all game, to save the penalty – he failed!        3/10

Leon – (mostly) steady          6/10

Jim Mcpherson – spent the whole weekend on the source and it showed         6/10

Andy Hardie – (oops)        -3/10

Left back – man of match       8/10

Adam Pomoro  -  Oddly for a barman he lost his bottle in front of goal  - costing us the league   5/10

Steve Watts – may need to join Kevin and Scott in the Lard Bin      5/10

Gerry Showbiz – needs a haircut and a shave      7/10

Subs

Dave – looked like Delboy, played like him too       4/10

John Weavers – didn’t put a foot wrong          10/10  

Flames to John Weavers please.