This is how it feels (Kilmarnock 15092018)

[Jonnyboy]

At last the international break was over and it was time to get back to watching Hibs. I hate these breaks and find they’re a pain in the posterior because much as I always want Scotland to win, watching my club side means a lot more to me. I was also glad that Hibs would have the chance to redeem themselves after a poor outcome in the last match away to Livi. I thought some of the reaction to that defeat was overly critical and that at worst it was a poor forty five minutes. I guess though that some folk are never happy as the guy sitting two along from me today moaned his way through the entire ninety minutes, when he wasn’t busy looking at his phone that is.

As to the game today, Kilmarnock I knew would provide stern opposition and as it turned out they did that very thing. Thankfully, that opposition was not enough to save them from defeat and the result gave me double the pleasure as we won three points and the most torn faced manager in football had to witness it. I’m convinced Steven/Stephen/Stevie Clarke (take your pick) must smile first thing in the morning to get it out of the way. Despite Clarke’s dour puss I have to say it was a very entertaining ninety minutes with both sides playing football the way it should be played.

With Paul Hanlon missing due to a hamstring injury, Lenny was more or less obliged to go 4-5-1 with Boyler tasked with the job of supporting Flo. Porteous played left of the two central defenders and I feel that his inexperience didn’t help as Killie advanced down their right and often faced only Lewis with Horgan trying to make ground.

The opening exchanges were fairly even although the pace of Boyle looked to be worrying the Killie defence whilst O’Donnell and Burke looked lively on the right for Killie. Just past the ten minute mark, Boyle was crudely brought down around twenty five yards from goal. Having initially tried to allow advantage, referee John Beaton brought play back to where the offence was committed. Jamie MacDonald set his wall up and then took up his position on the other side of the goal. Neither of those instances made a difference to the outcome as Stevie Mallan struck a sublime free kick, into the top corner of the net. It was a beauty and generated a huge roar from the home support.

Hibs were on the up now although as I said earlier Horgan and Stevenson were being stretched as Killie kept trying to build play down their right. Ten minutes or so after Mallan’s opener, David Gray doubled the Hibs lead with a carbon copy goal of the one that secured the Scottish Cup in May 2016. Indeed it was so similar I expected to see Andy Halliday on his knees with his head in his hands. As it was the Killie defence settled for casting accusing glances at each other.

As so often happens, a goal was scored soon after that second only this time it was the visitors that struck. Stevenson was horribly exposed down their right and Horgan failed to track his runner, allowing O’Donnell to fire a low ball into the area and Brophy reacted the quickest to flick the ball past Bogdan at the front post. Greg Stewart, who’d been involved in the build-up for the Killie goal was causing the Hibs defence some problems with his close control and on more than one occasion he seemed to skip past a number of challenges with ease, at one point setting up Brophy but Bogdan saved the effort. It was Stewart that next found the net with half time looming he picked the ball up around twenty yards out and skipped past Whittaker’s despairing lunge before sending a left foot curler into the top corner of the net. It was as good a goal as Mallan’s in my opinion with those strikes indicative of just how good a game it was.

At half time, Boyle’s earlier injury incurred at the free kick which led to the opening goal meant he was unable to continue and Lenny replaced him with another pacey forward in Thomas Agyepong. Just moments into the half, Mallan struck a fierce dipping drive at the Killie goal and it seemed to whizz past the post. Referee John Beaton gave a corner kick which to me indicated he was the only person in the ground that saw MacDonald touch the effort as it passed him. Put it this way, had it been on target it would have been a goal because MacDonald looked well beaten.

The second half didn’t have the goals of the first but it did have both sides going forward at every opportunity in an effort to gain a lead. Taylor of Killie went close and then Kamberi headed just wide from a corner. It was beginning to look like the game would finish at 2-2 but substitute Jamie Maclaren was felled in the box by Broadfoot and Kamberi blasted home the spot kick to win the points. I confess that I’d been saying throughout the second half that Kamberi should be hooked because he had contributed little or nothing but after Maclaren came on he seemed to get a new lease of life. Rushing in to the Killie box late on, he elected to try and find Maclaren with a pass across the area when a shot at goal seemed the better option. Agyepong then did well to hold off two Killie defenders, proving that he might look small but he’s very strong on the ball. New man Mark Milligan, who replaced Whittaker, made a couple of telling challenges and was always talking to team mates to keep them alert. As time ebbed away, Bogdan made an excellent save from a Boyd header and then Hibs got lucky when Ambrose appeared to foul Broadfoot in the box but the referee played on. It looked a penalty but I don’t mind Hibs getting this kind of break as we don’t get them often.

The players

Adam – Once again I thought he did well. No chance with either goal and commanded his area well in going for high ball’s into the box and plucking them out of the air. Had a couple of decent saves, most notably the one at the death from a Boyd header.

SDG – Another fine performance from our captain. Defended stoutly and took his goal in Scottish Cup winning fashion. Still needs to work on the celebration though!

Efe – Absolutely strolled through the game with only one very minor Efe moment. When he went on a forward run, strolling past several Killie players he looked majestic, only to over hit a simple pass to Horgan. That’s Efe for you.

Ryan – Didn’t look entirely happy as the left sided centre half and a couple of stray passes could have gotten us into trouble but when we had our backs to the wall late in the game he thundered into one challenge, clearly winning the ball and earning a huge cheer from the home fans.

Lewis – Louie always looks happier when his fellow lefty Paul Hanlon is in the side. As I said earlier, he suffered when Ryan, as a natural right sided player, was not giving the same sort of cover as Paul would. Nevertheless, I do feel he was partly to blame for the second Killie goal as he allowed himself to be muscled off the ball near the corner flag.

Boyler – Martin had a few telling runs in the first half but clearly suffered after the tackle that led to us opening the scoring from Mallan’s free kick. I heard Clarke on the radio saying it was a soft award. That’ll be why Boyler was injured right enough.

Emerson – I’m still to be convinced by him. Had very little involvement in the game and as I watched I couldn’t help but wonder what was going through Slivka’s mind that he can’t get selected ahead of him.

Stevie – Much better this week in that he chased and harried as well as trying to be creative. His free kick was a thing of beauty. I’ve heard people say he’s not as good as McGinn. It should be remembered that when SJM arrived he had to develop into the player that was sold to Villa. Mallan just needs to be afforded that time to develop.

Whitty – Once again I thought he had a decent first half but struggled in the second until his replacement. It really can’t help when he hears a growing hubbub of impatience when he doesn’t pass the ball on as quickly as his detractors would like.

Daryl – Not quite so involved than as of late but I feel that’s because he was played wide left. He is, in my opinion, much more effective through the middle. Having said all of that, he does have that quality which has us as fans sliding onto the edge of our seats.

Flo – Looks a million miles off full fitness and laboured through the first seventy minutes but came to life after the introduction of Maclaren. He did however make a first class job of converting the penalty.

Tommy – I’m calling him that because it’s easier to spell than his surname. Looks the part, quick and strong on the ball and pleasingly always looking to receive a pass.

Milligan – Looks strong and is clearly a talker. A couple of strong challenges bordering on yellow’s but I like what I’ve seen so far.

Jamie – Plays on the shoulder of the last man and gives them no peace. It was his clever movement that won us the penalty.

Lenny – I heard his post match interview and as he rightly says we are still a work in progress.

The fans – Turned out in great numbers again but there was not a lot of singing today which was puzzling.

The ref – John Beaton had a decent game. I can’t believe I’ve just typed that.