The team did well today

[fife hfc]

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I've just watched the second half again and the Pars keeper made as many save as Rocky did - apart from the first ten minutes or so when we were reeling (due to a makeshift defence because of Fontaine's injury), but after that we really didn't look like we were going to concede and created enough chances to win the game.

You can watch it in full online on the BBC website if you don't have Hibs TV. I suspect it is the lack of an interview from Hibs at the end of Alba's coverage that has meant the 'Pars were robbed' to gain traction. The BBC stats showed we had more chances than Dunfermline and more shots on target.

That is how I saw the game. Most of their chances came at the start of the second half and we stabilised when we took Bartley away from the centre half position. Fyvie was poor but was he still feeling the effects of his illness. We looked better with Bartley in midfield but I felt the midweek game had taken a lot out of Holt and Cummings who both looked like they lacked the energy of Wednesday. The Pars knew we were vulnerable with Bartley at CH and tired from midweek and started the second half with a high tempo and got there rewards. This was a team who hadn't played in eleven days against a team who looked mentally and physically tired. Yes it is disappointing losing a two goal lead but we have no Devine right to be hammering teams. Still seven points clear and on course for winning the league, so nothing lost and nothing gained.

[Scouse Hibee]

Another game down, no ground lost still seven points clear and edging closer to promotion. I'll concentrate on the positives.

[blackpoolhibs]

I think because of the strength of the league (weaker) we are getting away with results like yesterday and the Ayr game.

The good teams find a way to win these games, we have a way to go before we manage that.

There were obviously mitigating circumstances, but if we go up, there will be games every week with the intensity of Wednesday.

As i said, the good teams find a way and we've struggled to do this in this division.

[greenlex]

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Yes i hope so too but really we should be further clear the sooner we stop viving teams hope the better. Lets get this done asap.

Amen to that Sammy.

[Sir David Gray]

Not for me.

A draw at home to Dunfermline when you're 2-0 up after 20 minutes is not something I would describe as the team "doing well".

I get the point about Fontaine but we ought to be able to see games out when we're in such a position. If it hadn't been for Marciano turning in one of the best Hibs goalkeeping displays I've seen in years, we could easily have lost 4 or 5 last night.

I'm concerned about the fact that the players are exhausted after Wednesday and we will be expecting those same players to go again on Wednesday against a St Mirren side that's just won a vital 3 points yesterday and who are fighting for their lives.

We've now dropped 13 points at home this season which is ridiculous to be honest.

[Nicho87]

3 draws on the trot. Making hard work of this now guys.

[telford hibbee]

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Admire the sentiments but in reality it was only Rocky's heroics and some bad luck for Dunfermline in front of goal that prevented us from being on the wrong end of an embarrassing reverse; there were at least five occasions in the second half when it seemed inevitable they would score the winner. Although we steadied the ship a bit when Bartley went into midfield, we never really looked like scoring again after it went to 2-1.

Although there are mitigating factors (Fonts' injury, Beaton's performance, the rigours of Wednesday night), I don't think it can really be said that this was in any way a laudable, praiseworthy or professional performance.

i take your point about rockies heriocs and bad luck for dunfermline but thats what rocky is paid to do. how many times have we
played against teams in recent years and not won because the opposition keeper was mom.
luckily no harm done as the other results went our way.

[The Leith Dutch]

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Pish we shud have beaten Dunfermline simples and shouldnt be blaming wednesdays win for it as they are professional footballers so they can up their game for hearts but not for dunfermline? Lucky for us utd didnt win and thats 3 draws we have had against teams we should be beating. Not having this being happy with draws

Don't think anyone is "happy" with the draws.

I think the point is that there is a big difference between draws.

When we come out with no urgency against a team packing the defence and try to play at walking pace repeatedly trying the same tactic that obviously isn't working people offer criticisms of the team, specific players or the manager's tactics or selection.

In last night's game I don't think that applies:
We were clearly tired, they had energy and urgency - particularly second half - and we didn't have a centre half to replace Fontaine.

If we're being picky, Gray made a bad mistake, Bartley at Centre Half was a bad call and we possibly should have recalled the young Centre Half or brought in an emergency loan after Forster's injury.

[JimBHibees]

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I'll probably get a bit of stick for this but I actually think the team deserve a lot of credit for digging out a result today.

Dunfermline were full of energy, very pacey and much more attacking than any other team has been at Easter Road this season. The heroics of Wednesday night obviously took their toll on the players, we looked leggy and tired for much of the game.

I thought the players' attitudes were great, they dug in and fought, and although we conceded, we held on to get a point and I actually think we finished stronger as Dunfermline tired and Bartley started to influence the midfield.

We were up against it today. Losing Fonts was massive with no recognised centre half on the bench I thought Crane did really well stepping in.

We didn't play well for much of the game but the team have everything, today was a point won through character and determination, and as disappointing as it undoubtedly is to lose a two goal lead, that point could easily have been a defeat if the players didn't pull themselves through.

Good post was definitely a point gained in terms of performance. There was a spell of 15 - 20 mins after half time we were all over the place however Bartleys move to midfield helped. Agree about us being leggy and team showed character to grind a point. Fontaine going off a huge factor thought he should have been taken off earlier as obvious he was struggling. Gives us a huge issue for the cup tie at centre back.

[Fifehibby74]

If team was tired yesterday how are we going to lift it for another game on Wednesday night against a team fighting for their lives and livelihoods.

[Itsnoteasy]

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Not for me.

A draw at home to Dunfermline when you're 2-0 up after 20 minutes is not something I would describe as the team "doing well".

I get the point about Fontaine but we ought to be able to see games out when we're in such a position. If it hadn't been for Marciano turning in one of the best Hibs goalkeeping displays I've seen in years, we could easily have lost 4 or 5 last night.

I'm concerned about the fact that the players are exhausted after Wednesday and we will be expecting those same players to go again on Wednesday against a St Mirren side that's just won a vital 3 points yesterday and who are fighting for their lives.

We've now dropped 13 points at home this season which is ridiculous to be honest.

Have you forgot about the Polar Bear.

[Heisenberg]

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If team was tired yesterday how are we going to lift it for another game on Wednesday night against a team fighting for their lives and livelihoods.

We should be a team fighting for the title and showing why we should be champions. Let's hope we start looking like this kind of team on Wednesday.

[Sir David Gray]

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Have you forgot about the Polar Bear.

I did say "one of the best".

[Fifehibby74]

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We should be a team fighting for the title and showing why we should be champions. Let's hope we start looking like this kind of team on Wednesday.

I hope so. Not seen it in last 3 league games. We really need the 3 points. Feel like a stuck record saying the same thing over the last month

[Heisenberg]

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I hope so. Not seen it in last 3 league games. We really need the 3 points. Feel like a stuck record saying the same thing over the last month

True. Wednesday is now a massive game when it really didn't have to be.

[Baldy Foghorn]

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Perhaps or maybe they are dropping points to the same teams we are? Glass half full/empty and all that.

We never lost any ground. The CB area is a cause for concern with injuries and suspensions though....

[chasitup]

I don't think the team did well at all Matty. I reckon we were very lucky to get away with a point. A couple of Marciano's saves were straight at him too, but he was immense and kept them out. I hope the team can get their energy levels up for another midweek game, they're professional footballers after all.

[FitbaFolkKen]

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Is it? Have we beaten everyone else at home or have I imagined the games I have witnessed.

Just because we haven't beaten every team that has come to Easter Road doesn't mean that winning against these teams should not be the expectation. We are top of the league, we have the best squad in the league, we should expect to win all of our home games.

If you go into games against Dunfermline, Ayr United and others expecting anything but a win why even go?

[Scouse Hibee]

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Just because we haven't beaten every team that has come to Easter Road doesn't mean that winning against these teams should not be the expectation. We are top of the league, we have the best squad in the league, we should expect to win all of our home games.

If you go into games against Dunfermline, Ayr United and others expecting anything but a win why even go?

Of course every time I go to Easter Road I expect to win, but the reality is that will never happen so when it doesn't I say to myself being realistic we can't perform to the highest standards all of the time and beat everyone. Think we've all been watching football long enough to realise that.

[Peevemor]

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I'll probably get a bit of stick for this but I actually think the team deserve a lot of credit for digging out a result today.

Dunfermline were full of energy, very pacey and much more attacking than any other team has been at Easter Road this season. The heroics of Wednesday night obviously took their toll on the players, we looked leggy and tired for much of the game.

I thought the players' attitudes were great, they dug in and fought, and although we conceded, we held on to get a point and I actually think we finished stronger as Dunfermline tired and Bartley started to influence the midfield.

We were up against it today. Losing Fonts was massive with no recognised centre half on the bench I thought Crane did really well stepping in.

We didn't play well for much of the game but the team have everything, today was a point won through character and determination, and as disappointing as it undoubtedly is to lose a two goal lead, that point could easily have been a defeat if the players didn't pull themselves through.

I agree. I said in the match thread that I thought it was a good match - at least Dunfermline gave us a game. Fonts injury was a turning point and we struggled until Crane came on and Bartley imposed himself on midfield. From then on it was Hibs that were looking for the winner and Dunfermline started time wasting. The atrocious refereeing didn't help us either.

[Danderhall Hibs]

I'm happy that we're 7 points clear but am not happy that's all we're clear by and games like yesterday are the reason we're not stretching it. We've got to go up to united soon and if they can win and get us back to 4 points we'll feel the pressure far more than we need to.

9 draws this season is what's killing us - we need someone that can turn them into wins, like Commons did for 4 weeks. We're clinging onto the lead that his goals got us.

Lucky that united are dropping as many points as us.

[Dalianwanda]

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Agreed. And frankly I think the thread title from the OP is embarrassing.

You embarrass easy then

[NAE NOOKIE]

It cant be denied that yesterday was a big opportunity to put real breathing space between us and Dundee Utd / Morton and we didn't take advantage .... that is disappointing and to say it isn't would be a lie.

But having said that I for one am not prepared to start losing the plot over yesterday because of that disappointment. There were a number of mitigating factors that lead me to have a far different opinion of the team yesterday than I had after the Raith Rovers game.

I don't agree that the team shouldn't have been affected by their efforts on Wednesday 'because they are professionals' how can anybody who was at that game say that ..... the players ran themselves into the ground and the tactics we employed in that game were of the sort that require a huge amount of energy to be affective, John McGinn looked wiped out 10 minutes before full time on Wednesday, he wasn't the only one and no wonder considering the amount of running they all did. Another poster said the Hertz game wasn't an excuse because it was 'an easy shift' or words to that affect ..... it only looked an 'easy shift' because of the huge effort we put in to stifle the Yams from midfield to forwards.

There is no doubt that if we had gone in at half time 2 - 0 up yesterday we probably would have won, its only because of an unfortunate error gifting Dunfermline the ball in a good area that we didn't. After losing Fontaine we lost shape and replacing him with Bartley wasn't a bad idea in theory, but it clearly didn't work and at least Lennon had the baws to admit it by bringing Crane on. We got absolutely nothing from an incompetent referee ... his decision to stop the game when Hibs were breaking away 3 on 2 in the second half for an injured Dunfermline player, who didn't have a head injury, was F'ing criminal. He also penalised Holt as a result of a 50/50 collision that wasn't a foul by either player where the ball had broken for us in a good area .... that was two of many things he got wrong and went against us.

Then of course the is Dunfermline themselves ..... that's as good an effort as I've seen from an away team at Easter Road in the last two seasons and that includes more than one Premiership team. I get fed up of reading posts from folk telling everybody how pish this league is and making out that every game should be a skoosh for us. It isn't a pish league, there are teams in it that are capable of giving most teams in the premiership a tough game and Dunfermline are clearly one of them if yesterday was anything to go by. Their willingness to attack and the number of players they had on the day who were decent on the ball was admirable .... it may have made it a bad game for us, but if I had been a neutral fan I think I would have enjoyed the game and that would be in no small part because of Dunfermline's willingness to contribute to it.

The positive from yesterday is that in spite of a bad day we didn't lose any ground and thankfully games are running out for those around us ..... we just need to stick with it and the fans need to stick with it as well .... the few folk I heard booing at the end yesterday need a good kicking.

[Hibbyradge]

Every manager, every professional player, and every football commentator understands the effect midweek games have on players.

Teams who are knocked out of Europe early often have an advantage in the league because they're never jaded.

Yet folk on here who used to play a few amateur games know better.

It laughable.

[emerald green]

So if the players were tired yesterday after the Hearts match, which they looked like judging by what I saw, should we expect to do well against St Mirren this midweek? Lennon put it down to tiredness.

Hibs were also lucky yesterday. Lets not kid ourselves. Only a superb display in goals from Marciano, and poor finishing from Dunfermline, saved Hibs from a real drubbing. That's what I would have been saying if the teams were reversed.

[jgl07]

Hibs currently lead by 7 points from Dundee United with a vastly superior goal difference (+16 against +10). They are 9 points ahead of Falkirk (+12) and Morton (+10).

Falkirk have 10 matches remaining or 30 points left. United and Morton have 11 matches left (33 points).

So Hibs have to drop 8 points (three losses or 4 draws) assuming that United will 11 straight matches.

They need to drop 10 assuming that Morton also win 11 in a row.

Hibs would have to drop 13 points (out of 33) assuming Falkirk win ther remaining 10 matches.

So, it's far from over but the odds are heavily on their side. None of the pack have proved capable of stringing together a series of results to suggest they could win all remaining matches. They are likely to take points each other.

It all suggests that. at worse, Hibs will stagger over the line, while at best it will be all over in April.

[Lago]

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I'll probably get a bit of stick for this but I actually think the team deserve a lot of credit for digging out a result today.

Dunfermline were full of energy, very pacey and much more attacking than any other team has been at Easter Road this season. The heroics of Wednesday night obviously took their toll on the players, we looked leggy and tired for much of the game.

I thought the players' attitudes were great, they dug in and fought, and although we conceded, we held on to get a point and I actually think we finished stronger as Dunfermline tired and Bartley started to influence the midfield.

We were up against it today. Losing Fonts was massive with no recognised centre half on the bench I thought Crane did really well stepping in.

We didn't play well for much of the game but the team have everything, today was a point won through character and determination, and as disappointing as it undoubtedly is to lose a two goal lead, that point could easily have been a defeat if the players didn't pull themselves through.

No stick from me, I agree with you.

[NAE NOOKIE]

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Hibs currently lead by 7 points from Dundee United with a vastly superior goal difference (+16 against +10). They are 9 points ahead of Falkirk (+12) and Morton (+10).

Falkirk have 10 matches remaining or 30 points left. United and Morton have 11 matches left (33 points).

So Hibs have to drop 8 points (three losses or 4 draws) assuming that United will 11 straight matches.

They need to drop 10 assuming that Morton also win 11 in a row.

Hibs would have to drop 13 points (out of 33) assuming Falkirk win ther remaining 10 matches.

So, it's far from over but the odds are heavily on their side. None of the pack have proved capable of stringing together a series of results to suggest they could win all remaining matches. They are likely to take points each other.

It all suggests that. at worse, Hibs will stagger over the line, while at best it will be all over in April.

We are + 26 ...... Utd are + 10 ....... we are + 16 ahead of them.

[Keyser Sauzee]

There was a thread on here during the week about how we were favourites for the derby and people were rightly pointing out that the bookies very rarely get it wrong, with that being said, we're currently 1/9 to win the championship. Some people need to relax a bit

[JimBHibees]

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It cant be denied that yesterday was a big opportunity to put real breathing space between us and Dundee Utd / Morton and we didn't take advantage .... that is disappointing and to say it isn't would be a lie.

But having said that I for one am not prepared to start losing the plot over yesterday because of that disappointment. There were a number of mitigating factors that lead me to have a far different opinion of the team yesterday than I had after the Raith Rovers game.

I don't agree that the team shouldn't have been affected by their efforts on Wednesday 'because they are professionals' how can anybody who was at that game say that ..... the players ran themselves into the ground and the tactics we employed in that game were of the sort that require a huge amount of energy to be affective, John McGinn looked wiped out 10 minutes before full time on Wednesday, he wasn't the only one and no wonder considering the amount of running they all did. Another poster said the Hertz game wasn't an excuse because it was 'an easy shift' or words to that affect ..... it only looked an 'easy shift' because of the huge effort we put in to stifle the Yams from midfield to forwards.

There is no doubt that if we had gone in at half time 2 - 0 up yesterday we probably would have won, its only because of an unfortunate error gifting Dunfermline the ball in a good area that we didn't. After losing Fontaine we lost shape and replacing him with Bartley wasn't a bad idea in theory, but it clearly didn't work and at least Lennon had the baws to admit it by bringing Crane on. We got absolutely nothing from an incompetent referee ... his decision to stop the game when Hibs were breaking away 3 on 2 in the second half for an injured Dunfermline player, who didn't have a head injury, was F'ing criminal. He also penalised Holt as a result of a 50/50 collision that wasn't a foul by either player where the ball had broken for us in a good area .... that was two of many things he got wrong and went against us.

Then of course the is Dunfermline themselves ..... that's as good an effort as I've seen from an away team at Easter Road in the last two seasons and that includes more than one Premiership team. I get fed up of reading posts from folk telling everybody how pish this league is and making out that every game should be a skoosh for us. It isn't a pish league, there are teams in it that are capable of giving most teams in the premiership a tough game and Dunfermline are clearly one of them if yesterday was anything to go by. Their willingness to attack and the number of players they had on the day who were decent on the ball was admirable .... it may have made it a bad game for us, but if I had been a neutral fan I think I would have enjoyed the game and that would be in no small part because of Dunfermline's willingness to contribute to it.

The positive from yesterday is that in spite of a bad day we didn't lose any ground and thankfully games are running out for those around us ..... we just need to stick with it and the fans need to stick with it as well .... the few folk I heard booing at the end yesterday need a good kicking.

Very good summation agree totally about Dunfermline their line up was very attacking and some of their combination play was as good as any team in our league including premier teams also.